The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a summary of responses to its consultation on contractual practice in the pork supply chain, setting out its next steps, which address most of the key asks that the National Pig Association (NPA) put forward in October 2022.
The NPA said it is pleased to see that Defra has agreed to take the following next steps, addressing the majority of the eight key asks NPA set out in the response:
We will share our findings relating to the alleged negative consequences of market consolidation with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The UK government will commence work developing regulations for pig contracts, using the regulation making power in section 29 of the Agriculture Act 2020 (this covers fair dealing obligations of business purchasers of agricultural products).
These regulations will ensure written agreements are used between all producers and their buyers. We will work closely with industry to explore what other provisions, if any, should be mandated as part of these agreements.
We will continue to engage with stakeholders to ensure that legislation works for all parts of the UK and incorporate special provision for differing circumstances, if necessary. Where there is no minister in place, as in Northern Ireland at present, we will continue to work closely with government officials.
We will also develop regulations to collect and disseminate more supply chain data, particularly in relation to wholesale price transparency and national slaughter numbers. We will use the powers in sections 23 to 28 of the Agriculture Act to create such provisions in England. We will work with the devolved administrations on this issue, as this is a devolved matter.
Read the full article at: foodmanagement.today
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