Irish Food Processors Making Progress With International Retailers Like Tesco

IFA President John Bryan said that the support of multinational retailers
such as Tesco in purchasing Irish produce for their international stores
was vital for the well-being of our farming and food sector.

He said, “Our food processors had made good progress in the last number of
years in building access to international markets and the support of Tesco
for Irish produce is appreciated. Access to the supermarket shelves of
international retailer multiples is critical in the context of providing
sustainable and profitable markets for our expanding food production
base.”

The IFA President also acknowledged the progress made by Tesco domestically
in increasing the amount of local produce in their stores.

“However, securing more equity in the food supply chain continues to be a
priority for farmers, especially for fresh produce suppliers, who need a
higher proportion of the consumer price to cover their costs of production
and leave a margin.”

John Bryan said he met with Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation
last week and IFA will hold the Minister to his commitment that legislation
will be published this year to regulate the retail sector.