Legislation Must Give New Office of Fairness and Transparency Real Powers

IFA President Tim Cullinan has acknowledged the approval by the Cabinet of the General Scheme of a bill to establish a new Office for Fairness and Transparency in the Agri Food Supply Chain.

“We have waited a long time for this. We look forward to seeing the draft legislation and to having genuine input into what powers the office will have,” he said.

“It must have full powers of investigation and be able to compel actors in the chain to provide them with real data and back up documentation. Just doing ‘market analysis’ based on ‘publicly available’ information will not cut it,” he said.

“This Office will be crucial in ensuring a fair share of the consumer euro goes to farmers, and in regulating unfair trading practices. If it does not ensure a viable price for farmers for their work and investment, then we will see more farmers in horticulture, potatoes and the pig and poultry sectors go out of business,” he said.

“Large retailers using their dominant position to drive down prices to farmers to unviable levels, often below the cost of production, has to stop,” he said.