NFU Hails Ground-Breaking Waitrose Prices For Beef
UK - The NFU has hailed as 'ground-breaking' the long-term price guarantees Waitrose is offering its beef and lamb suppliers, and says that this recognises the importance of paying sustainable prices to farmers.
9 October 2007
2 minute read
it is vital that other retailers take the necessary steps to commit to a sustainable supply chain that ensures the future for British beef and lamb.
NFU Livestock Board Chairman, Thomas Binns.
Waitrose has raised its base price for beef cattle by 10p/kg to £2.25/kg/dw and has committed itself to staged increases over the next 18 months to take the minimum price to £2.50/kg.
With lamb, the supermarket has committed to paying a minimum price of £2.30/kg to its suppliers until the end of the season, as compared with a current market price of around £2.
NFU Livestock Board Chairman, Thomas Binns, said: "These were exactly the sort of forward commitments, at sustainable levels, that the NFU had been campaigning for in order to restore confidence in livestock farming.
"Beef and sheep production is suffering from a chronic lack of profitability, compounded by the twin crises of foot and mouth and bluetongue.
"Waitrose is to be congratulated on this ground-breaking deal. They are facing up to the reality of the situation, which is that unless some firm assurances can be put in place that prices will rise to a sustainable level, beef and sheep producers will vote with their feet and production will plummet, leaving supermarkets and their customers with a severe shortage of home-produced red meat.
"To avoid that, it is vital that other retailers take the necessary steps to commit to a sustainable supply chain that ensures the future for British beef and lamb. We will talk to other retailers about a package of measures that could facilitate this".
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