Government refusal to extend GCA’s remit leaves farming groups angry

The refusal to extend the GCA’s remit follows Defra Secretary Michael Gove’s admission there would be ‘no dramatic change’ to the Adjudicator at the Oxford Real Farming Conference in January.

Instead, Mr Griffiths and Mr Eustice promised to explore a range of ‘more targeted and proportionate’ measures to help primary producers deal with unfair trading practices.

But Tenant Farmers’ Association chief executive George Dunn said the Government had ‘dropped the ball’ by not ensuring proper regulation throughout the supply chain.

“The GCA has been doing some great work in tackling unfair practices in the way retailers treat their direct suppliers but there is no protection for indirect suppliers, including farmers, from poor treatment in the supply chain”, he added.

Ethical

“It is in all of our interests to ensure we have a fair, sustainable and ethical groceries supply chain and this cannot be left to the vagaries of the marketplace.”

Senior rural business adviser at the CLA, Dr Charles Trotman, said the failure to extend the GCA’s remit meant farmers who do not directly supply supermarkets would continue to suffer.

“The Government must urgently reconsider and ensure the GCA can hold all those across the supply chain to account for substandard practices”, he added.