Industry’s plea for protection from giant retail chains following reveal of Tesco's treatment of suppliers

Farmers and food companies have renewed calls for legislation to protect them from the retail giants, after the UK Groceries Code Adjudicator revealed Tesco’s high-handed and roughshod treatment of its suppliers.

Tesco is believed to be the world’s biggest buyer of Irish food and drink, taking €1.6 billion of produce per year, about €931 million of which is sold in Tesco stores overseas.

Tesco figures indicate that more than 13,000 Irish farm families supply produce to Tesco, which has a 28.1% share of the UK’s grocery market.