Greencore ‘has moral obligation to growers’ over contracts

GREENCORE has a corporate and moral obligation to malting barley growers to resolve the issue of their contracts, farmers claimed yesterday. They were protesting at the company’s extraordinary general meeting held in Dublin to approve the sale of its malting business to French co-op Axereal.

Irish Farmers Association president John Bryan said Greencore cannot axe contracts for 500 growers without redress before they sell off the business.

“Loyal barley growers who have been the bedrock of a very profitable malting operation have a legitimate expectation to be treated fairly in the restructuring of the business in advance of it transferring to the new owners Axereal,” he said.

Mr Bryan called on the management and shareholders of Greencore to deal equitably and fairly with affected farm families, and to ensure their concerns are addressed.

“The situation has been handled very poorly by Greencore, and has become a very divisive issue among growers on the ground.

“Greencore must address the problem now, if the new owners are to be welcomed here and enjoy the goodwill and support of Irish farmers,” he said.

IFA grain committee chairman Noel Delany said the company’s failure to communicate with or return calls directly to growers who are losing contracts is an unacceptable way to deal with dedicated suppliers.

“Once again, we have a decision foisted on growers at the point of sowing when many farmers already had made commitments, financial and otherwise, to banks, leasing companies on the strength of these contracts.”

Greencore rejected claims growers had been treated disrespectfully.