The BBCA group of farmers have protested at Asda supermarkets over claims the firm is pulling some Northern Ireland produce from its shelves in time for Christmas.
He staged a demonstration outside the firm’s supermarket and depot in Lorne, County Antrim, saying he was replacing locally grown potatoes with cheaper alternatives from the UK.
Farmer Stephen Christie said Asda’s move would “make it very difficult for farming families” this Christmas.
Asda said the “vast majority” of potatoes sold in its Northern Ireland stores are sourced locally.
It added that it understood “the frustration of local growers about using imported produce” in its Christmas discount offers and agreed to discuss the issue with the Ulster Farmers’ Union.
‘Harm our business’
Stephen Christie told BBC News NI that the supermarket was “hurting our business” by importing potatoes from the UK.
“We grow all year for Christmas, it should be good business for us,” he added.
“They should support local produce during Christmas.”
The campaign insisted that switching to cheaper imported produce during the festive period would “definitely hit” farmers financially.
‘They are being excluded’
Area MP Sammy Wilson. Asda, which attended the protest to show its support for farmers, said there were “questions to answer”.
“Asda is supplying local customers. They have local suppliers who can supply potatoes to those customers and they have decided that instead of buying locally they will buy from England,” Wilson said. said
“The main part of the year for their market is Christmas and they have been excluded by a major supermarket.
“This is completely against the promises that supermarkets make about buying local.”
Mr Wilson said putting farmers out of business in the long term would “make food sustainability much more difficult”.
In a statement, an Asda spokesperson said: “The vast majority of our potatoes sold in Northern Irish stores are sourced locally and we are proud to support local growers in Northern Ireland all year round.”
He added that Asda had launched a Christmas vegetable offer “to support families when they need it most”.
“We understand the frustration of local farmers about the imported produce used in these offers and have been listening carefully to their feedback over the past few days,” the statement said.
“We have agreed to discuss these concerns further with the UFU (Ulster Farmers Union) early in the new year.”