Supermarkets Respond to Committee Concerns on Polish Beef Imports

Response from Lidl

Declan McAleer MLA
Committee for Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs,
Northern Ireland Assembly

Dear Declan,

I wish to acknowledge your recent correspondence regarding supermarkets buying Polish beef. Lidl are acutely aware of the difficulties facing the Agri-Food sector and are committed to working with stakeholders on this very important topic. An economic report carried out by Oxford Economics showed that Lidl Northern Ireland contributes almost £180 million to the local economy every year and sustains around 3,500 jobs.

Lidl has a strong commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethical Procurement. Key to the success of our business is the strong working relationships we have built up with local suppliers since entering the Northern Irish market in 1999. Currently 97% of our fresh beef under our Strathvale range comes from farms operating under the Northern Ireland Beef & Lamb Farm Quality Assurance Scheme, with 3% from farms in the Republic of Ireland that are Bord Bia Quality Assured. For the upcoming summer season, we will add lines from a supplier in mainland GB, which will carry the Red Tractor label. We can assure you that we have no plans to source beef from any other country and are committed to supporting the local farming industry. As the fastest growing retailer in the region we have seen our beef sales grow 25% year on year.

The economic report referenced earlier also highlighted that, in addition to sourcing product for stores in Northern Ireland, Lidl facilitates our suppliers to export goods to other countries. Product valued at approximately £200 million went to Great Britain, while almost £49 million went to stores in the Republic of Ireland during the same period.

Yours sincerely,

Julian Beer Commercial Director