Supermarket ombudsman needs your supplier stories

Supermarket watchdog Christine Tacon has urged farmers who have been unfairly treated to come forward with examples of mistreatment by Britain’s big retailers.

Ms Tacon, who was recently appointed to the role of groceries code adjudicator, is travelling the country collecting evidence as she prepares to start work this summer ensuring that supermarket buyers treat their suppliers fairly.

Legislation granting authority to launch investigations into allegations of malpractice is expected to receive royal assent in the next few weeks. In the meantime, Ms Tacon said she wanted to collect as much evidence as possible, including from farmers.

“It is a slightly frustrating time because I can’t take any action on something that is happening now – only once it becomes law,” she told Farmers Weekly. “But it would still be really useful to hear any stories of anything that is going wrong.”

The code is specific and only covers the relationship between direct suppliers and supermarkets with a turnover of £1bn or more – such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons – who are already supposed to abide by the groceries code of conduct.

Acknowledging that some farmers would be reluctant to come forward with allegations of code breaches for fear of being identified and blacklisted, Ms Tacon pledged to guarantee their anonymity. Complaints can be made anonymously or via the NFU.

“I have been at dinners where people have quietly slipped me a business card wanting to talk afterwards,” she said. “I have also heard of three instances where suppliers have been told they must pay more than £1m if they want their products stocked on supermarket shelves.”

Ms Tacon will meet NFU county advisers later this month at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, where she will outline the extent of the code and what it covers. She is also meeting code compliance officers at retailers to help ensure supermarket buyers know what they can and cannot do.

The whole food chain needed to be working together more constructively, said Ms Tacon. “We know stuff is going on and if people have any stories [of malpractice] now, it will be helpful because I will be able to put pressure on supermarkets to ensure things are done properly.”