Charlie McConalogue

The Cabinet yesterday approved the general scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022, which will create a new independent statutory authority aimed at promoting the principles of fairness and transparency in the agricultural and food supply chain.

It will perform a price/market analysis and reporting function, and become the State’s designated enforcement authority for enforcing the rules of unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain.

The Unfair Trading Practices Directive is currently enforced by an interim authority in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, which will be wound up when the new office is in place.

Agriculture minister Charlie McConalogue said: “The new office will be an advocate for farmers and fishers and other small food businesses in the agricultural and food supply chain to help them improve their position and to bring greater transparency and fairness all along the supply chain.

“I acknowledge the support shown by my Cabinet colleagues for the general scheme of this bill. This is an important step in fulfilling the Programme for Government commitment to bring greater fairness, equity and transparency to the agricultural and food supply chain and I am very pleased that I now have the opportunity to be able to deliver the means to help achieve that goal.”