Waitrose Announce Ground Breaking Prices For Beef And Lamb Suppliers

Thu, 11 Oct 2007
 
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Waitrose has agreed to increase the prices it pays to its beef and lamb producers.

The upmarket retailer announced on Tuesday that the move is designed to protect beef and lamb farmers from volatility in the market and offer them some financial protection following the recent Blue Tongue and Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks across the country.

Payment for beef farmers has been increased by 10p per kilo, giving farmers a minimum base price of at least £2.25 per kilo, while the supermarket has also introduced a series of structured increases over the next 18 months with the aim of reaching base level payments of £2.50.

Waitrose also agreed on paying its lamb farmers a minimum of £2.30 per kilo for British lamb for the rest of the season - well above the market level, which has seen prices slide to as low as £1.70 during the past fortnight.

Chief livestock adviser for the NFU, Peter King, said: "This is a much needed step which will see a supermarket sharing risk with farmers . We will be encouraging other retailers to take similar steps to protect the supply of British beef and lamb ."

The price hikes are part of the supermarket’s long term policy of working collaboratively with British farmers to ensure a sustainable supply of home grown produce.

Heather Jenkins, head of Meat Buying at Waitrose, added: "Both we and our customers want to ensure that our farmers can continue to produce the very best beef and lamb, both now and in the long term."

"These new base level payments will allow farmers to plan ahead and give them some protection while market conditions are so challenging."

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