The government is expected to announce long-awaited plans for a supermarket watchdog, three years after the Competition Commission warned that power concentrated in the hands of large-scale retailers would have detrimental effects for suppliers and consumers.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Ministers are expected to publish the draft Grocery Adjudicator Bill later today (24th May), which will outline the adjudicator’s role in monitoring the relationship between retailers and suppliers.

Andrew George, MP for West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, who chairs the Grocery Market Action Group (GMAG), said the Bill was long overdue and had wide ranging support. GMAG membership includes the NFU, NFUS, the British Independent Fruit Growers Association, Friends of the Earth, ActionAid and Traidcraft, among others.

Mr George said, "Every day food producers are going to the wall. And many more are struggling as a result of the market distorting power of the large supermarkets. Every day this happens means that the proposed supermarket watchdog is being introduced another day too late.

“This proposal has cross-party support. The Government has no excuse to delay. Speed is of the essence. No time should be lost in setting up an effective watchdog with real teeth. Food producers here and in the developing world want to concentrate on the efficient production of healthy food not perpetually fight for their survival."