Pressure builds on producers as inflation rises
FOOD and Drink Federation (FDF) Scotland has written to Humza Yousaf to press for his support after food inflation hit a record new high.
In a letter to the First Minister, FDF Scotland has urged the Scottish Government to work with the food and drink industry to alleviate pressures on the hard-pressed sector.
David Thomson, chief exec at FDF Scotland, said: “With food and drink inflation accelerating further to a worrying 19.2%, the Scottish Government must do everything it can to help our food and drink producers and our shoppers.”
The letter pushes ScotGov to scrap plans to ban temporary price reductions on food products, continue funding FDF Scotland’s Reformulation for Health Programme as well providing further support for producer packaging.
FDF Scotland’s call to action follows on from the latest Office for National Statistics inflation data which found that food inflation had hit a record-breaking 19.2%. ONS estimated that this rate would have last been higher in 1977.
The renewed call from FDF Scotland follows on from last month’s high inflation when it sat at 18.2%, previously the highest recorded since the 1970s.
Further to this, Kantar reported that grocery price inflation sat at 17.3% during the four weeks to 16 April – a drop from the last report but the 10th consecutive month it has been in double digits.
Thomson said: “Food and drink manufacturers know we have a responsibility to keep the price of everyday products affordable, and the ONS data shows that over 80% are absorbing a proportion of rising input costs in order to shield shoppers from the full price rise.
“A competitive food and drink sector can help drive down inflation and power our economic recovery.
“An important part of that will be a strengthened relationship between the Scottish Government and our vital food and drink industry.”
