19-05-2025
Minister urged to grant additional powers to Agri-Food Regulator
The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) president Francie Gorman has called on Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon to grant additional powers to the Agri-Food Regulator (An Rialálaí Agraibhia).
The office of the Agri-Food regulator, which was established in December 2023, is concerned with promoting fairness and transparency in the agri-food supply chain.
It has responsibility for enforcement of the Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs) Directive and also has a market data analysis and price transparency function.
Agri-Food Regulator
The IFA president said that additional powers are needed so the Agri-Food Regulator can compel businesses in the agri-food supply chain to provide price and market information when requested.
'After 18 months in operation, the minister must act now and grant these additional powers that will allow the office to compel businesses to provide necessary market information when requested. The current powers are clearly not sufficient,' Gorman said.
'IFA is aware of a number of large retailers that did not provide information to the Agri-Food Regulator when asked.
'The office should be in a position to produce price and market reports on all sectors of the food supply chain.
'IFA is aware that the Agri-Food Regulator reported back to the minister for agriculture in September 2024 on the initial establishment of the office and indicated the need for these additional powers.
'This request has not been acted upon to date, but the IFA president said now is the time to grant these additional powers.
'This office is critical to providing a more even playing pitch for farmers and smaller suppliers in the food supply chain and to lessen the impact of a few large retailers or multinational food companies,' he added.
Meanwhile, the Agri-Food Regulator will hold its inaugural conference at the Johnstown Estate Hotel, Co. Meath tomorrow (Tuesday, May 20).
The regulator will announce the findings of its survey into trading relationships between suppliers of agri-food products to the largest Irish retail and wholesale businesses.
The event will also examine the move at national and EU-level towards greater transparency and fairness for primary producers, following on from the recent publication of the EU Commission's 'Vision for Agriculture and Food'.
