Veggie price war ruining Christmas
market for Irish producers: Ferris
The vegetable price war between
German and Irish
multiple retailers has ruined what should be one of the best
weeks of the year for Irish producers, according to Sinn Féin spokesperson on
Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Ferris TD.
“Producers are contacting me about
this price war which is destroying the Christmas market for them, when this
should be one of the best weeks of the year for Irish vegetable growers,” he
said.
“This is also a disaster for the
small local vegetable shop, which cannot hope to compete when the retail giants
go to war.
“The German multiples and some Irish
ones too are charging almost nothing for imported vegetables. In those
circumstances, the growers are being squeezed out of the market. This farming sector is one of those that has managed to survive the
economic disaster of the crash. It should be
supported by government and protected against this kind of practice.
“Everyone knows that if a supermarket
is charging below cost for one product, it is making its profit on other lines,
but it is very tempting when people are hard pressed financially to go for the
cheaper vegetables.
“I would appeal to people to buy Irish
and remember that our indigenous farming industry is the backbone of our
economy and should be supported.”
Sinn Féin Mountmellick – Serving The Community
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ReplyDeleteThose of us who are on a low income can buy Organic Irish produce at the German stores for a lot less than we would otherwise do at the Irish owned stores. Mr Ferris should try living on a low income for a few months and then he might have some idea of what we are up against.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally it is the German stores that contribute to the Irish food banks unlike some of the Irish stores who do not.