DAERA Minister has welcomed recent progress
made in improving transparency and fairness in UK producer and
buyer relationships.
The Minister's comments came in response to announcement of the
UK government's plans to introduce further legislation on
contractual relationships in the pig, egg and fresh produce
sectors at the Farm to Fork Summit on 14 May 2024.
Speaking today, Minister Muir said: “Our farmers and growers are
the backbone of a sustainable farming system. They need certainty
and stability to help them plan ahead, produce high quality food
and play their part in meeting the environmental and social
challenges we all face.
“That is why I welcome recent action by Defra to improve
transparency and fairness in agri-food supply chains across the
UK. I appreciate there are examples where relationships between
producers and their buyers work well. Nevertheless, it is
important that minimum standards are set, and that farmers and
growers have the scope to challenge bad practice, when things go
wrong. I therefore welcome recent Defra legislation mandating
written contracts in the dairy sector and the UK government's
commitment to make similar regulations for the pig, egg and fresh
produce sectors.”
The UK Prime Minister also announced the appointment of Richard
Thompson as the first UK Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator to
oversee enforcement of the UK contracts regulations.
The Minister concluded: “My officials will continue to work
closely with their counterparts in Defra, and the Scottish and
Welsh governments to ensure any contracts legislation works for
the whole of the UK and to explore the contribution my Department
can make to ensuring a more level playing field for everyone in
the supply chain.”
Notes to editors:
- The UK government led a series of UK-wide reviews of the
dairy (2020), pig (2022), egg (2023) and fresh produce sectors
(2023/24), seeking evidence about how supply chain arrangements
in those sectors function and whether legislation was needed to
improve these.
-
Download the Fair
Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations 2024 (external link
opens in a new window / tab). They will begin to apply from
9 July 2024.
-
Download the Summary of
responses to the UK consultation on contractual relations in
the pig sector(external link opens in a new window /
tab)
-
Download the Summary of
Responses to the UK consultation on contractual relations in
the egg sector(external link opens in a new window / tab).
-
Download the Summary of
Responses to the UK consultation on contractual relations in
the fresh produce sector(external link opens in a new window /
tab).
