Anger at decision to appoint part-time GCA as calls to extend remit grow louder

“We know Christine Tacon said limited hours limited her ability to get things done, and this role delivers extremely high value for money if it successfully tackles unfair trading practices.

“There are now 13 designated retailers, so it is a bigger job, and the legal structure of the GCA means the Adjudicator themselves needs to sign off everything, which is why investigations have taken so long.

“It is extremely frustrating that the opportunity to make the role closer to a full-time one has not been taken at the time of reappointment, and we are asking why. Our farmers deserve better.”

George Dunn, chief executive of the Tenant Farmers’ Association (TFA), added: “This shows poor ambition by the Government and a lack of understanding of the importance of supply chain issues as we step into new economic and political environments post-Brexit.

“We need the Adjudicator to be a full-time role with sufficient resource to fulfil what we believe will be an increasingly important function.”

Fairness

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy was unable to comment due to election rules.

Speaking at the NFU’s General Election manifesto launch on Tuesday, union president Minette Batters warned ensuring supply chain fairness had to be a ‘prerequisite of stepping back from direct support’.

“Every farmer and grower I speak to is struggling to not have a lower contract that the previous year,” she said.

“We are under enormous pressure and that is unsustainable economically and unsustainable in the long run.”