Supermarket price-fixing hurts farmers and consumers

Responding to the news that Asda and Sainsbury's have agreed to pay multi-million-pound fines after they admitted fixing the price of milk and cheese, Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs Spokesperson, Roger Williams MP said:

"Supermarkets colluding in backroom deals not only disadvantages consumers but also their suppliers.

"To claim this underhand activity was intended to benefit farmers is complete nonsense.

"Now this breach of the law has been admitted, the OFT and the Competition Commission must look more widely at how supermarkets deal with their suppliers.

"The current Supermarket Code, meant to ensure a fair deal for farmers, lacks real teeth. There should be an independent inspector with the power to take firm action where anti-competitive practices are taking place."