Retailers seen as winners from food prices
Over 60% of consumers believe retailers get the most from the price of bread, milk and vegetables. Over two-thirds of consumers on average believe farmers benefit least from the retail price of food.
Only three in 10 consumers believe that farmers got a fair price for their produce.
Agri Aware deputy chairman TJ Maher, speaking at the launch of the report in Dublin, said it is clear from the study that Irish consumers sees retailers as the major winners from the price of food.
Some 64% of consumers see retailers as the major winners from the price of bread, 63% see them as the major winners from the price of vegetables and 61% see them as making most from milk. “As is the case in reality, farmers are seen as benefiting least from the price of food in shops,” he said.
Dr Pat Bogue, Shannon Showcase Consultant, author of the report, said there is an increase in the proportion of consumers who consider that the retailers benefit most from the price of bread, milk and vegetables when compared to similar research conducted last year.
Only 28.4% believed that they pay a fair price for food. Those living in rural areas were more likely to consider that they pay a fair price for their food than urban dwellers, he said.
The Agri Aware survey shows that 87.8% consider agriculture as important/very important to the Irish economy.
“This is good news for the sector in the current climate of policy change, as the general public are shown to be aware of the crucial role that the farming and food industry continues to play in the economy,” said Mr Maher.
Nine out of 10 consumers considered that agriculture had a beneficial effect on the environment, a substantial increase on a similar study carried out two years ago. Nine out of 10 consumers considered a well managed/maintained countryside important.
Mr Maher said the production of high quality food was the main role identified for agriculture in Ireland today.
“It is very heartening for the Irish farming and food industry that despite the global market and the availability of food imports, the main role identified for agriculture in Ireland was the production of high quality food.”
The image of distinct sections on the industry was assessed in the study. Consumers gave the highest ranking to farmers as producers of quality food.
Some 57.4% of consumers considered the image of farmers as producers of quality food to be good. When asked specifically, the general public thought the main problem facing farmers was poor incomes.
