German dispute between supermarkets and pig sector on edge

The dispute between the German supermarkets and the pig farmers about the low pig and piglet prices has been further intensified. ISN, the organization of pig farmers, reacted furiously today (Wednesday 1 September) to an action Edeka Südwest Fleisch, a subsidiary of supermarket giant Edeka. 

According to ISN, the management of the Edeka company has sent a letter to the suppliers of the pigs about the criticism of the company from pig farming and the media. According to ISN, in this letter the suppliers are asked to influence the media in the interest of Edeka. Proof of this effort must therefore be handed over to Edeka, according to the pig farmers' organisation.

Thinking about your own reputation
ISN has nothing good to say about this promotion by Edeka. "While pig farms are fighting for their survival, Edeka Südwest Fleisch only thinks about its own reputation in an extremely dubious method." ISN suspects that Edeka feels that it is undervalued in the sector, because compared to the competition they do not benefit from the current situation in the market with the Edeka Gutfleisch program.

The pig farmers participating in this program receive price support on the individual contracts if the price is lower than €1,40 per kilo of slaughtered weight. In addition, the company is the only partner of the sector to pay the so-called ITW fee of €3,50 per pig. ISN states that it considers it legitimate that if a company feels it is being misrepresented in the publicity, it emphasizes its own performance and points of view. "But what Edeka is doing now clearly crosses the red line. That will have consequences." 

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