Aldi has defended its approach to dealing with Irish vegetable growers after a large-scale protest at it distribution centre in Naas, County Kildare earlier this week.
Aldi group buying director Rob Farrell told the Irish Farmer's Journal that the Aldi business model focuses on just 1,350 lines, compared with over 15,000 in other retailers.
“We aim to drive volume through key lines – this allows our suppliers to sell substantial volumes at fantastic prices for consumers,” he said.
On Monday (September 22), the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) led a group of vegetable growers in a protest at the company’s Naas headquarters, accusing the chain of “pushing growers towards extinction”.
In recent months, the Journal reported, Aldi has sought tenders for vegetable supplies in a process that has been criticised by the IFA, which claims a 10 per cent price cut has been imposed for key Irish vegetables.
Farrell added that an increased number of suppliers to Aldi was required in order to meet growth requirements.
He told the Journal that Aldi had found no evidence to support a recent claim at a growers meeting that some suppliers put in a tender price without having a supply base.
He stressed that suppliers must source 100 per cent Irish where that is specified: “It’s a deal-breaker for us if the terms are breached,” Farrell said.
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