Outside in yesterdays pouring rain stood fifty or so pig farmers sheltering under umbrella's. As everybody who was anybody in the grocery business arrived at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London for the IGD's most prestigious conference of the year the farmers politely handed each of them a flyer. The headline said "I'll be history by Christmas (and so will my competitiors on the Continent)".
The hand-out went on to explain, in extremely moderate language, that pig production costs had risen so much in recent months that every pig was making a loss of 30% of its gross value. We must be paid more, and quickly, or we will be forced out of business the flyer said - and pig farmers all over Europe face a similar situation. In other words, Mr and Ms Grocer, don't rely on imports because they won't be there either.
Later, in the Great Hall some 700 delegates heard speaker after speaker representing UK supermarkets express sympathy with the pig farmers. "We know we will have to pay more", was a typical comment that was often followed by, "but that does not mean we will give up trying to supply our customers as cheaply as possible".
Over coffee during one of the conference breaks I found myself beside a breakfast cereal manufacturer who also supplied some of the retailers who had been on the platform. "Well, the speakers seemed to be saying the right things about paying more", I volunteered. "Yes, the top men always do", came the weary reply, "It's the ones on the buying floor you have to watch out for. They still work by the same old rules as they always have."
I wonder if those buyers realise how vulnerable their pig meat supply base has become?