Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue will soon start recruiting for a CEO to head up the new food ombudsman office, which will have powers to investigate unfair trading practices. The Office for Fairness and Transparency in the Agri-Food Supply Chain will report on prices in the supply chain and follow-up on any wrongdoings.
Legislation will be needed to create the watchdog, possibly new laws will be passed by the Oireachtas. The new office will operate independently of the minister, but will fall under the aegis of the Department of Agriculture.
The Minister commented that the office will be led by a CEO and a team of staff to carry out its functions, whilst reporting to a board. “I have made it clear that at least two members of the board must be from the food production sector. I want real life, dirty under the fingernails experience on this board to help guide its important work,” he said.
Mr McConalogue has previously stated that he does not think retailers should be selling food at below the cost of production and that there should be respect “right across the food supply chain for the work that our primary producers, that are farmers and family farms, do”. A breach of unfair trading practices carries a maximum fine of €500,000 or three years in prison.
For many years now farmers have been highly critical of food processors, pointing out that they have been setting unfair prices, especially in the beef sector. The watchdog will investigate complaints which have been made about unfair trading practices, but those who lodge complaints will have to pay a fee.
The Government has provided €4m in next year’s budget for the creation of the office.