04/11/2025
The issue of price paid to farmers by supermarkets is an incredibly important one. Yes, we receive a fair wholesale price. The reality is that approximately 93% of the retail market in Ireland is serviced by the big five (Dunnes, Tesco, SuperValu, Aldi, Lidl). Our mission as a business is to feed our community with nutritious, sustainably grown fresh produce and supplying Dunnes is an incredible opportunity to do just that, at a scale we have not done previously.
Ultimately we must produce and deliver a crop profitably in order to sustain the business. Are we there yet? Absolutely not! Will we get there? I hope and believe we will, but it is hugely challenging. There is a reason there’s so few field scale organic vegetable producers in the country, it’s because it’s enormously difficult. The capital investment required when starting from scratch on leased land is substantial and cannot be understated.
I think it’s very important to highlight and support the positive things being done in our system and not always bash. is doing an amazing job of giving a balanced appraisal of the supermarket system in Ireland currently. We need to bring everyone along together on the journey to improve our food system and constant negativity is not how we’re going to achieve change.
Let’s celebrate and champion small, medium and large producers who are trying their best to feed their communities and earn a living doing so. Let’s also support efforts by any supermarket to genuinely support and highlight those growers.
