Farmers protest over Asda's 'exclusion of NI produce'

A group of farmers have staged a protest at an Asda supermarket over claims the firm is excluding some Northern Ireland produce from its shelves over Christmas.

They held a demonstration outside the firm's supermarket and depot in Larne, County Antrim and said it is replacing locally-grown potatoes with cheaper alternatives from Great Britain.

Farmer Stephen Christie said Asda's move would "make it very difficult for farming families" this Christmas.

Asda said the "overwhelming majority" of potatoes sold in its Northern Ireland stores are locally sourced.

It added it understood "the frustration from local growers around imported produce being used" in its discounted Christmas offers and agreed to discuss the issue with the Ulster Farmers' Union.

'Undermining our business'

Stephen Christie told BBC News NI that the supermarket was "undermining our business" by bringing in potatoes from Great Britain.

"We grow all year for Christmas, there should be good business for us," he added.

"They should be supporting local produce over Christmas."

The campaign insisted the switch to cheaper imported produce over the festive period was "definitely going to affect" farmers financially.

'They're being excluded'

The area's MP Sammy Wilson. who attended the protest to show his support for the farmers, said Asda had "questions to answer".

"Asda are supplying local customers. They've got local suppliers who could make potatoes available to those customers and they've decided that rather than buy locally they're going to buy from England," said Wilson.

"The main part of the year for their market is Christmas and they're being excluded by a big supermarket.

"This goes totally against the promises which supermarkets make about buying local."

Mr Wilson said squeezing farmers out of business in the long run would "make food sustainability much more difficult".

In a statement, an Asda spokesperson said: "The overwhelming majority of our potatoes sold in Northern Irish stores are locally sourced and we are proud to support local growers in Northern Ireland all year round."

They added that Asda had brought in a vegetable offer for Christmas "to support families when they need it most".

"We understand the frustration from local growers around imported produce being 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."