Speaking of supermarkets is usually not advisable in the presence of hard-pressed farmers – but a new investment by Britain’s biggest retailer might just change that fraught relationship.
Tesco will become the first retailer in the UK to work directly with pork and beef farmers in a £25 million annual investment in British agriculture set to revealed
In a move designed to help take the pressure off British farmers following rising feed prices, the retailer will create two new groups, run by committees of farmers, which will guarantee beef farmers an above market price for their meat and a price linked to the cost of feed for pork farmers.
In an industry first, farmers in the groups will be given direct contracts and in response to requests by the farming community, these will last for up to 36 months, giving livestock farmers more security, the ability to plan ahead and a guaranteed a fair price for their meat. The new way of working is likely to affect up to 10 per cent of pork and beef farms in the UK.
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