NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Use 13 January 2010 OMBUDSMAN TO HELP SCOTTISH FARMERS & PRODUCERS Mid-Scotland and Fife Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser has welcomed the UK Government’s decision to finally accept a Competition Commission recommendation that an Ombudsman is to be created to police the grocery supply chain in the UK and believes this will benefit Angus and Perthshire farmers. For a number of years Murdo Fraser MSP has been calling for an Ombudsman to be set up to protect the interests of farmers and producers and to ensure that Scottish farmers get a fair price for their produce. Murdo Fraser MSP said: “I welcome the decision to create an Ombudsman to police the food chain in Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom so that it ensures a fair price for farmers and consumers alike. This is good news for farmers in Angus and Perthshire as the Ombudsman will have the power to stand up to the supermarkets and ensure that our farmers will get a price that reflects their quality produce. “At the moment, I believe that too many of our farmers and food producers continue to struggle under the burden of the low prices paid by the major retailers. We therefore badly need to inject some balance into the equation for our farmers in Perthshire, Angus and across Scotland “With the creation of the Ombudsman, I hope that the supermarkets and major retailers will work harder with our local farmers to ensure that they get the fair price they deserve. I also hope that the Ombudsman does more to promote supermarkets to buy from local farmers so that the environmental impact of ‘food miles’ is reduced.” ENDS   back to top of page