Waitrose has launched a Farming Partnership initiative, which it says further demonstrates its commitment to UK farming.
The Waitrose Farming Partnership is the new umbrella under which all the retailer's "agricultural farmer-focused initiatives" will now fall and includes steps to help its farmers "better manage costs in their businesses".
One of the first pieces of work involves a new branded membership of Anglia Farmers, the UK's biggest agricultural buying co-operative. The membership is open to all Waitrose UK-based farmers, giving them access to what it claims are "significant" savings on all farm supplies.
The initiative comes at a time when the UK farming industry is suffering as processors make substantial cuts to milk prices and poor weather conditions are destroying crops.
Show the press release
Waitrose reinforces commitment to British farming with the Waitrose Farming Partnership
Waitrose has today launched the Waitrose Farming Partnership - an initiative that further demonstrates the supermarket's commitment to British farming.
The Waitrose Farming Partnership is the new umbrella under which all its agricultural farmer-focused initiatives will now fall.
In front of industry leaders and politicians, Waitrose today set out details of the WFP which includes steps to help its farmers better manage costs in their businesses. It will also carry out new research to help reduce livestock producers' dependence on imported soyabeans for animal feed.
One of the first pieces of work involves a new branded membership of Anglia Farmers, the UK's biggest agricultural buying co-operative. The membership is open to all Waitrose UK-based farmers, giving them access to significant savings on all farm supplies.
Heather Jenkins, Waitrose Director of Agricultural Strategy, said: "This Waitrose branded membership of AF will really help our farmers by saving them time and money. We believe they will be able to make savings in animal health, machinery, electricity, building materials and telecomms as well as on main farm inputs.
"Last year we asked our farmers how we could help them build their businesses. They asked us if we could give them tools to help control their costs. This new deal does just that."
Waitrose also detailed ground-breaking research into domestically-grown protein for livestock which, it is hoped, will help reduce farmer dependence on imported soya for animal feed.
The work with other partner organisations on improving the availability UK-sourced protein feed comes in two parts: through new Faba bean varieties and research into forage protein for ruminants.
The £2m Optibean project - as the Faba bean work is known - came out of a competition for research and development funding, focusing on the challeng of sustainable protein production, managed by the Technology Strategy Board in partnership with DEFRA, BBSRC and the Scottish Government.
Waitrose livestock suppliers are working with bean breeder Wherrys, and others, to help utilise Faba beans in the potential displacement of soya in animal feed. The project has received TSB support and funding and will run for four years. Feeding trials are being carried out in our pig, poultry and fish supply chains.
At the same time, Waitrose ruminant livestock suppliers also obtained TSB funding for a £2m, five year, match-funded project to develop, via eight commercial Waitrose farms, ways of incorporating home-grown protein into feeding regimes.
The partners in this project are: Waitrose, Dovecote Park (beef), Dairy Crest (milk), Coombe Farm (organic milk), Dalehead Foods (lamb), Aberystwyth University, Bangor University and seed company Germinal Holdings.
Heather added: "This work with our partner organisations is very exciting and could deliver significant benefits for our farmers, helping shield them from market volatility.
"We firmly believe the Waitrose Farming Partnership will deliver, to our farmers and growers, real practical benefits to help their businesses thrive, building on our already market-leading commitment to British farming."
For further details please call John Gregson on 01344 824573 or 07525 271618. Email [email protected]
Original source: Waitrose
