The Farmers’Union of Wales has once again urged the Westminster Government to appoint a Grocery Market Ombudsman without delay in a bid to end unfair market practices.
The union stressed its concerns in a letter to Defra Secretary of State Caroline Spelman pointing out it is almost five years since the Office of Fair Trading authorised an initial investigation by the Competition Commission which published its final report in 2008.
The setting up of a Grocery Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) in February last year marked the first of the key remedies outlined in the report.
The Government later announced it would proceed with the establishment of an Ombudsman to oversee the GSCOP and the FUW has responded to two separate consultations about the powers and roles of such an adjudicator.
"But more than a year after the first consultation on the introduction of an Ombudsman the industry still remains void of such a body," said FUW president Gareth Vaughan in his letter to Mrs Spelman.
The issue was also raised at the union's milk and dairy produce committee, meeting at its headquarters in Aberystwyth on Thursday, when members felt that without an Ombudsman the GSCOP remained hollow and ineffectual.
“Over the last decade the FUW has consistently argued that the UK Government should take the action necessary to redress the imbalance in the powers held by primary producers, processors and retailers,”” said Mr Vaughan.
“We are urging the new Government to remain committed to the establishment of a groceries adjudicator with sufficient powers to address the concerns raised by the Competition Commission.
“In 2010 the Grocery Market Ombudsman Bill brought forward by Ynys Mon MP Mr Albert Owen received cross party support and presented an ideal opportunity to take forward the establishment of a supermarket Ombudsman,” added Mr Vaughan.