OFT looks at competition in Scottish milk market
OFT looks at competition in Scottish milk market
SCOTLANDS market for processed milk is coming under scrutiny, with the Office of Fair Trading investigating competition concerns.
An OFT spokesman said on Wednesday that no decision had yet been taken about whether to refer the case to the Competition Commission for a full investigation. "We are still looking at the situation in detail," he said.
Speculation has grown in recent weeks that the OFT is concerned about the supply of milk to small independent retailers and corner shops in Scotland. Most of these outlets are supplied by Robert Wiseman Dairies, the East Kilbride-based firm that now controls an estimated 70% of the Scottish milk market.
No one from the company was prepared to comment on a possible referral to the Competition Commission.
The Wiseman business has grown dramatically in the past six years, with the acquisition of a host of Scotlands milk processing firms and moves into the English market. *