Retailer price cuts ‘undermine efforts of Irish farmers’
ICSA beef chairman John Cleary said Aldi’s “assertion that their price cuts will not affect their suppliers is simply unacceptable”.
Cutting the prices of Irish beef and lamb in shops “directly undermines the efforts and livelihoods of Irish farmers”, a farm organisation has warned.
Reacting to Aldi’s announcement this week of a suite of price cuts across a further 81 products including beef and lamb, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association has said that “unrealistic expectations” are being perpetuated.
This latest round of price cuts follows the retailer’s announcement last month of price drops to almost 150 products, meaning Aldi has now cut the prices of over 230 products this year alone.
According to Aldi, these price cuts “represent an investment of more than €12m by Aldi in its commitment to delivering lower prices and unbeatable value for customers”.
“Aldi can also confirm that the price cuts announced will not impact on the prices paid to any of its suppliers. Aldi recently announced that it spent €1.1bn with its network of more than 330 Irish suppliers last year, including signing a number of new supplier contracts worth more than €40m,” the retailer said.
ICSA beef chairman John Cleary said that Aldi’s “assertion that their price cuts will not affect their suppliers is simply unacceptable and out of touch with the reality faced by Irish farmers”.