Farmers protest at Albert Heijn pricing policy

Friday 14 September 2012

A number of angry farmers gathered outside the headquarters of Albert Heijn on Friday in protest at the supermarket group’s pressure on them to cut prices.

Albert Heijn sent all suppliers a letter on Monday saying it planned to cut payments to suppliers by 2% from later this month.

‘Albert Heijn is abusing its market position,’ Frank Donkers of the Dutch pig farmers association NVV told Nos radio. A discount of 2% would cost an average family-run pig farm between €20,000 and €30,000 a year, he said. 'This is more than the profit we make at the moment.'

The protest is supported by farming organisation LTO which has called for talks with the supermarket group. The LTO has also asked the competition authority NMa to look into Albert Heijn’s action.

Unions are also concerned about the new pricing structure and its effect on jobs, Nos said.

© DutchNews.nl