Supermarkets promise price support for pig farmers

The country’s three largest supermarket chains – Colruyt, Delhaize and Carrefour – have agreed to pay a supplement to local farmers of 10 to 18 cents a kilo for pork, as a means of supporting the industry through tough times of low market prices.

The promise is the outcome of a long series of talks following an agreement in August to pay farmers a supplement of €24 million. Delhaize will pay an extra 18 cents a kilo, or about €1 per pig, on top of the €2 extra the chain has been paying since July, a spokesperson said. “The extra payment will be made as long as prices remain at such a historically low level.” The full weight of the payment would not be passed on to customers, the spokesperson said.

Carrefour will pay the equivalent of 10 cents a kilo more for a limited period. How much of that will be passed on in prices depends on the market. Colruyt also pays 10 cents more, for a period of two months.

“We have a system that allows us to trace which farmer the meat comes from, in what form, whether it’s fresh and processed or charcuterie,” said Colruyt spokesperson Jan Derom. “We will pay the farmer directly.” The chain would not pass the supplement on to the shopper, he said.

Following the pledges made by the major supermarkets, farming organisations Boerenbond and ABS will now approach other sectors in the chain – slaughterhouses and meat processors – to lobby them to pay a contribution to the farmers’ support fund. They also intend to publish the results of their appeal: “The consumer has a right to know who is as sustainable as they claim to be,” said Borenbond spokesperson Pieter Verhelst.