Farmers reap benefits of growth in local food markets

THE growth in local food markets is helping farmers reclaim some of the ground they have lost to supermarkets, a conference was told in Cork yesterday.

IFA president John Dillon said the reality is that farmers selling their produce into the established food chain and through the supermarkets are getting about 30% of the consumer price and often much less. Processors, and particularly uncontrolled supermarkets, have used their power to take unjustified margins at the expense of both farmers and consumers.

"It is a scandal to see farmers forced to produce at or below the cost of production, and then to see the supermarkets mark-up prices by 30%, 50% and even 100% in some cases", he said.