Morrisons said it stands ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with British farmers, as it announced support measures it says amount to more than £1.4 billion a year to the industry.
The supermarket chain will bring forward support planned for December, including a 5% discount to 2,500 British farmers that can be used both in-store and online. This extends to all Morrisons livestock suppliers who provide lamb, beef, pork, eggs or dairy, as well as fruit and growers who supply Morrisons directly.
Rami Baitiéh, Morrisons Chief Executive Officer, said: “Now and always we stand shoulder to shoulder with British farmers; some of the unsung heroes of our society, growing and providing home-grown food, which we all benefit from every day.”
The discount expands Morrisons’ package of business support for UK farming, which already includes long-term contracts and cash flow programmes.
Morrisons ‘For Farmers’ range which includes milk, eggs, cheese and cream, also enables customers to give back directly to food producers and has raised over £25 million to date. As more customers choose to show their support for British farmers, additional products are set to be considered for the range in the coming months.
Uniquely, Morrisons manufacturing business, Myton Food Group, has provided further cashflow support for cattle farmers for years: currently £11m worth of cattle are funded by the company helping farmers manage their budgets and grow their businesses.
Mr Baitiéh continued: “As British farming’s single biggest direct customer and in light of the recent Budget, our £1.4billion investment in UK farming demonstrates our core commitment to long-term relationships through contracts, cashflow schemes and practical industry support.”
Morrisons also supports the farming community through training and has contributed to the Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme, offering free business skills training to family farms.
Earlier this year, Morrisons announced a Farmers’ Council that will meet with Morrisons’ CEO and Board twice yearly to discuss Morrisons’ role in working with British farmers to deliver sustainable farming partnerships.
The next meeting will take place in December, hosted at Morrisons head office ahead of the busy Christmas period.
