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New agri-food watchdog holds first meeting

A new agri-food regulator has held its first board meeting, after being formally established by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

An Rialálaí Agraibhia is a statutory, independent authority set up under the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Act 2023.

The new watchdog’s function is to promote the principles of fairness and transparency in the agricultural and food supply chain by carrying out analyses and reporting on prices and markets.

Enforcement functions

It will also become the State’s designated authority for enforcing the rules on unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chains.

These functions are currently being implemented on an interim basis in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Minister Charlie McConalogue (pictured) has also introduced the regulations needed to provide for the transfer of these functions.

Transparency

The minister described the establishment of the new body as “a major landmark in the history of Ireland’s agri-food sector”.

“The establishment of the regulator will protect our agri-food suppliers – in particular, our farmers, fishers and small food businesses – from unlawful and unfair trading practices in the agricultural and food supply chain, and will bring greater transparency to the agri-food sector,” he added.

The first board meeting of the new body was held at its new headquarters on the Government campus in Backweston, Co Kildare.