Supermarkets told face up to responsibilities

LARGE supermarket chains were reminded yesterday that they have a responsibility to the communities in which they operate.

Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith said that responsibility certainly extends to their consumers and shareholders. But it must also extend to producers, processors and suppliers. He told the International Federation of Agriculture Producers’ Commodities Conference in Dublin that retailers must strike a balance between value for consumers and a fair return to suppliers and producers.

“But this cannot be done at the expense of a viable agri-food sector, such as we are fortunate enough to have in this country,” he said.