Pork cheap again: Lidl cancels the "farmer solos"

Pork cheap again
Lidl cancels the "farmer solos"

After farmers' protests, the discounter Lidl increases the prices for pork in December. The move is now being reversed because "the market has not followed our price signal," said Lidl. The farmers' association calls for long-term agreements between producers and food retailers.

The discounter Lidl has lowered the pork prices, which were raised only seven weeks ago. "The development of the past few weeks has shown that the market has not followed our price signal," said Lidl. "This has created a significant competitive disadvantage for us." It is therefore not possible to keep the prices permanently and solely at the higher level, according to the discounter. "From now on we have to adjust to the market level in the pig price segment again."

The German Farmers' Association stated that Lidl's decision proves "that short-lived actions do not help". Bernhard Krüsken, General Secretary of the Farmers' Association, told ntv.de: "We need long-term, reliable agreements with the food trade. That is why we have proposed a 'Germany Bonus', which is firmly agreed and in which the high domestic production standards are visible and rewarded . "

One euro per kilo

Lidl had introduced the surcharge, also known as the "farmer bonus" or "farmer solos", as a reaction to protest and blockade actions by farmers. At that time it was said that the purchase price for ten items from the pork range had been increased by one euro per kilogram, as a result of which the sales price would rise by the same amount. The farmers, who were in dire straits, had complained that producer prices were too low and that the retail chains were acting unfairly in their view.

"We will continue to promote German agriculture by constructively supporting the ongoing discussions and relying on products from local agriculture," said Lidl. Even before the price increase in December, the company had announced that it would be paying out an additional 50 million euros to farmers through the Animal Welfare Initiative. In addition, conversations with all partners along the value chain have been initiated in the background in order to jointly develop solutions for sustainable agriculture, it said on Thursday.

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