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Written question asked by Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 29 June 2026. It was answered by Stephen Morgan (Labour) on Wednesday, 1 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Food: Prices

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of supermarket pricing practices on farm incomes in North East Hampshire; and what steps the Government is taking to strengthen the ability of farmers to negotiate fair prices for their produce.

Answer

Fairness within the agricultural supply chain is a key priority for the Government.

The Government will use powers in the Agriculture Act to introduce ‘Fair Dealings’ Regulations, applying to businesses when purchasing agricultural products from farmers.

A sector-by-sector approach has been adopted. The first use of the powers led to the Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations (2024) for the dairy sector. The second led to ‘Fair Dealing’ regulations for the pig sector.

The regulations are enforced by the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator, who can investigate relevant complaints from farmers.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
12981
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Food Prices Supermarkets North East Hampshire
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk