Supermarkets save the day

[willy]

Does anyone else think that the supermarkets are coming out as the good guys in this terrible time.

the government are relying on them, they are offering the NHS staff shopping opportunity’s.

at the moment they are the good guys, but I hope in time people see the bigger picture how they have held producers ransom to their demands as they jolly well know they are the main purchasers.

 

[pappuller]

Does anyone else think that the supermarkets are coming out as the good guys in this terrible time.

the government arerelying on them, they are offering the NHS staff shopping opportunity’s.

at the moment they are the good guys, but I hope in timepeople see the bigger picture how they have held producers ransom to their demands as they jolly well know they are the main purchasers.

My only concern is that prices are slightly higher than they were a couple of weeks ago.
Less bogoff offers about is a certain fact

 

[Lofty1984]

morrisons ads on tv saying they’ve slashed priced

 

[honeyend]

Little local shops are still the main stay of those with no transport. If you are elderly sometimes just getting dressed and out of the house takes time, to be up and out by 8.00 is a hurdle.
I think they could have used the delivery vans they already have to make up a basic pack of goods, milk, bread,eggs, bacon, ham and loo rolls, for an all in price for distribution,through organised groups or the local PO.
Our local PO has struggled for over a week to get loo roll, and is dishing them out two at a time for those who just can not get them.
The PO will make some money, Tesco and the rest will make a lot, remember Tesco has bought out Bookers.

 

[Hampton]

I was thinking about the whole food security and how people on here don’t think it’s a good idea to say “I told you so”

when Australia was on fire and climate change was the priority everyone was hammering cattle and meat eating as the alleged reason. I don’t think I ever heard PETA saying, hang on, don’t kick them whilst their down.

we ought to be exposing the supermarkets for the miserable lying swines that they are

 

[delilah]

The Deputy Chief Medical Officer has just said that you are safer outside than in.
Despite that, in the coming days, Government will seek to shut down local markets and force you in to supermarkets. Beer gardens are deserted, whilst folks mingle in the booze aisles of supermarkets.
Does anyone actually believe that their best interests are being represented by Government without undue influence from big business ?
Resist. Petition your elected representatives, explaining that the communities best placed to beat this will be those that turn themselves into a modern-day Eyam, and that you cannot do that without robust local food systems.
If there is to be a future, it will be local.

 

[JimAndy]

interest bit, might buy his book

Diet, health, inequality: why Britain's food supply system doesn't work

Tim Lang, the UK’s leading expert on food policy, says we already faced a challenge unmatched since the war. And things just got worse…

www.theguardian.com

 

[quattro]

Did anyone see war on waste last night,with Hugh fearnley whitinstall it was a old programme
He is someone we should be using to promote British farming

 

[spanners and hammers]

customers at Cambridge store pushed into the store in front of the nhs staff had to shut and reopen one in one out f****** people

 

[delilah]

interest bit, might buy his book

Diet, health, inequality: why Britain's food supply system doesn't work

Tim Lang, the UK’s leading expert on food policy, says we already faced a challenge unmatched since the war. And things just got worse…

www.theguardian.com

You should also read Shopped by Joanna Blythman. Well, anything by Joanna Blythman really.

 

[upnortheast]

What odds would Ladbrooks give on being infected
a) With 5 people in the village shop
b) with 100 people in supermarket
As they say - Go figure

 

[funny farm]

It depends how long this goes on for supermarkets are the heroes, closely followed by the hauliers and processors. Farmers won’t be heroes in all of this until the food imports start to dry up and home produced food is in demand!!

 

[andyt87]

My only concern is that prices are slightly higher than they were a couple of weeks ago.
Less bogoff offers about is a certain fact

morrisons ads on tv saying they’ve slashed priced

Exactly! If they cut the price per item, whilst simultaneously removing offers and deals you end up paying more for the same amount but they can claim there single item price has been reduced to help the shopper.

They are sharks!

 

[Martin Holden]

Does anyone else think that the supermarkets are coming out as the good guys in this terrible time.

the government are relying on them, they are offering the NHS staff shopping opportunity’s.

at the moment they are the good guys, but I hope in time people see the bigger picture how they have held producers ransom to their demands as they jolly well know they are the main purchasers.

Yes! The open letter that one of the CEO’s wrote this weekend about opening hours quoted “we’ll keep the country fed” or words to the effect. Umm, those that produce the food they distribute are the ones that will help keep the nation fed

 

[ILovebaling]

I keep seeing the word 'hero' used by a lot of farmers on Facebook. Its not the time to be calling yourselves hero's and putting it all over Facebook. ?‍. Have a bit of common decency at this time. That's my opinion anyway.

 

[Bald Rick]

Supermarkets aren’t our friends

For most of us, they are not even our customers.

It is playing well for them at the moment but they won’t hesitate to drop suppliers in the sh!t as soon as it suits them

 

[kiwi pom]

Is it just the supermarkets that are at fault?
In the article up thread it says only a tiny fraction of UK land is used for fruit and veg. Is that just because there's no money in it? or is it because land owners can make a comfortable living doing much easier things like growing feed wheat?
This forum is full of people wanting to simplify things, trying desperately not to employ staff, always doing just enough to get a sub, grant or tax break.
If farmers got more for produce would it encourage you to grow a wider variety of crops and make your life more complicated?

@delilah makes good points about seasonal, local produce but I find it hard to believe the big wheat/barley/osr contract farmers are going to park up their direct drills and schoffel's and turn their acres into large market gardens.

If limiting supermarket power is a good idea maybe limiting the amount of land one person can own OR control the cropping on is a good idea.

 

[yellow belly]

The big problem is that normally 1/3 of food does not go through the super market
lunch and dinner out and takeaways
a lot of this food is now being sourced through supermarkets
by early April the supply logistics will catch up diverting the food from pub /re supply lines to super markets
then the bog off will be back and the hoarders will have the card bills £1 billion worth

 

[kiwi pom]

The big problem is that normally 1/3 of food does not go through the super market
lunch and dinner out and takeaways
a lot of this food is now being sourced through supermarkets
by early April the supply logistics will catch up diverting the food from pub /re supply lines to super markets
then the bog off will be back and the hoarders will have the card bills £1 billion worth

Yep fairly obvious, I don't know why people cant grasp it.
Also governments are telling people to lock themselves away for 3 weeks. Bit bloody hard to do that if you have to go to the supermarket everyday.
Its not panic buying its stocking up and doing what you're told.
Buy 3 weeks of supplies at once and you remove yourself from the supermarket for 3 weeks.
The supply chain will catch up.

 

[Tarw Coch]

customers at Cambridge store pushed into the store in front of the nhs staff had to shut and reopen one in one out f****** people

@Forage Trader posted a photo on Facebook earlier of the queues at Tesco In Dudley, definitely no social distancing there, a perfect environment for spreading this virus in an area that the news reported as being the largest hotspot outside London.