Bu chòir na bùthan mòra a bhith nas taiceile dha àiteachais san dùthaich seo fhèin

Ged a tha a’ mhòr-chuid againn gu math taiceil dhen phrionnsabal gum bu chòirear taic a chumail ri tuathanaich is croitearan às an dùthaich seo fhèin, ‘s e fìrinn na cùise nuair a thig e gu bhith a’ ceannach ar cuid bidhe anns na bùthan mòra, gur e dè as fhasa agus dè as saora a tha a’ cunntadh barrachd.

Ceann-suidhe an NFU ann an Alba, Màrtainn Ceannadach

[English-language version below]

‘S e cuideign le foighidinn Iòb a bhiodh deònach stad 's a h-uile pìos fiosrachaidh air pacaidean na sgeilf a leughadh.

Sin as coireach gum bu chòir den uimhir a dh’earbsa a bhith againn gu bheil na bùthan mòra – far a bheil a' chuid as motha againn a’ faighinn ar cuid bidhe – ri dol a-mach a tha reusanta is ciallach nuair a thig e gu cò às a tha iad a’ faighinn an cuid stutha.

Ach, bruidhinn riutha-san a tha an sàs ann an obair àiteachais agus cha bhi iad fada ag innse dhut mar a tha na companaidhean mòra – Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, agus ann an Alba a’ Cho-op – a' dèiligeadh riutha.

An-dràsta fhèin, tha NFU na h-Alba a’ dèanamh sgrùdadh air dè an ìre a tha biadh bho Alba ri fhaighinn anns na bùthan mòra, agus aig dè a’ phrìs. Tha iad ag ràdh gur e seo an sgrùdadh as motha a chaidh a-riamh a dhèanamh air a’ ghnothach agus dùil ri barrachd anns na mìosan ri thighinn.

Tadhalaidh eòlaichean-sgrùdaidh air 73 bùthan air feadh Alba agus thig na toraidhean a chur air beulaibh coinneamh bhliadhnail an NFU air an 8mh agus 9mh là dhen ath-mhìos.

A dh’aindeoin iomairtean sanasachd air an telebhisean is eile a’ sealltainn, mas fhìor, cho mòr ‘s a tha na companaidhean a’ cur taic ti tuathanaich, tha an fhìrinn caran diofraichte.

Bruidhinn riutha-san a tha ag obair na talamhain agus innsidh iad dhut mar a tha na companaidhean ag obair gus na prìsea n a tha iad a’ tabhann ìsleachadh, a’ ciallachadh gum feum tuathanaich s ìor leudachadh airson fuireach beò, le ceistean air dè cho maireannach no dè cho ciallach is a tha sin.

A thuilleadh air a sin, innsidh iad cuideachd cho deuchainneach ‘s a tha e a bhith a’ faicinn stuth ga reic, a gheibhear anns an dùthaich seo fhèin, a’ tighinn bho air feadh an t-saoghail, mar eisimpleir feòil-uain à Seallainn Nuadh.

Ciamar a tha sin math dhan àrainneachd?

Ged a tha e iomchaidh gu leòr dhan NFU a bhith a’ seasamh chòirichean nam ball aca, ‘s e an rud a tha inntinneach an trup-sa, ’s gu bheil iad a’ toirt cuiridh dha riochdairean bho na bùthan-mòra a thighinn chun na coinneimhe aca agus toraidhean an rannsachaidh a dheasbad. ‘S dòcha gum bi cuid aca gu math nearbhach mu dheidhinn sin.

Thuirt ceann-suidhe an NFU, Màrtainn Ceannadach, “gur e fìor chothrom a tha ann ceistean a chur orra, ach cuideachd aithne a thoirt dhaibh-san a tha taiceil dha biadh a tha air àrach ann an Alba fhèin”. Sin ma nochdas iad.

Le obair àiteachais air starsach saoghail ùir, tè a bhios gu mòr nas motha a’ cur prìomhachas air an àrainneachd, tha e cho iomchaidh sa ghabhas gun tig an solas a chur air dol a-mach nam bùth mòr agus iad cho mòr nam pàirt de ar beatha san là a th’ ann.

English-language version:

Despite most of us being generally sympathetic towards the principle of local produce and supporting the farmer or crofter down the road, the truth is that when it comes to our weekly shop we are more motivated by convenience and price. Shuffling impatiently along the aisles of your Tesco or Coop, it would take a particular kind of person to stop and read the small print to check the source of origin of everything.

It’s why we should be able to have reasonable confidence that our supermarkets, which most of us rely on, have a responsible attitude in terms of where they source their produce. But speak to those at the sharp end of agriculture and you will hear no end of complaints on the aggressive behaviour of the “Big Six” in particular: Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl, and in Scoland you can add the Co-op to that mix.

Right now NFU Scotland is conducting what they describe as “the most comprehensive ever survey” on how much Scottish food is available on the supermarket shelves and at what price. A total of 73 stores across the country will be targeted by a specialist research company and the results will be fed back to the NFU’s AGM on February 8 and 9.

Despite some sophisticated promotional campaigns, with television adverts and glossy posters, showing how much the big brands are friends of Scottish agriculture, the truth – as is so often the case – is somewhat different. Speak to those who work the land and they will tell you of the aggressive strategies of the supermarkets to drive down the farm-gate price – resulting in businesses having to chase economies of scale, often to the detriment of sustainable working practices – as well as the maddening experience of seeing comparable products shipped in from all corners of the globe, for example New Zealand lamb. Environmental credentials, anyone?

While you can fully expect the NFU to fight the industry’s corner, the interesting dynamic this time is that representatives from all the major chains will be invited to their AGM for a panel discussion, which depending on the survey results may feel like stepping into the lion’s den. In what was clearly a deliberate means to avoid a sense of a witch-hunt, NFU president Martin Kennedy said it was “a fantastic opportunity to not only hold our retailers to account and highlight to our consumers what is going on in some shops, but also give credit to those who are tremendous supporters of local food production within Scotland”. He added: “All major retailers have a role to play if we are to genuinely tackle the deepening food security crisis”.

With agriculture on the cusp of a new future, with a far greater emphasis on environmental production, some meaningful transparency on how our major outlets operate will not only be very welcome, it is in fact of crucial importance, for the primary producer right through to the end consumer.