Graig Farm Producers Group working for more impetus behind Lovespoon label Organic producers aim at more impact in multiples A leading organic farmers' group is set to take the plunge into the multiple retail world. "The organic market has got to the stage where you cannot ignore the multiples," says Bob Kennard, who heads the 200-strong Graig Farm Producers Group. "Supermarkets sell around 70% of all organic produce in Britain and 50% of all organic meat." The group, based at Llandrindod Wells, covers a large part of the principality and the Borders and stretches as far as Derbyshire. It is estimated it supplies about 20% of the organic beef and 30% of the organic lamb produced in Britain. Until recently most of the produce went to local outlets or by mail order to more distant customers but negotiations have been held with a major retailer ­ so far unnamed ­ with the aim of achieving a higher profile. Kennard hopes this will give added impetus to the group's label Lovespoon' (lovespoon making is a Welsh craft) recently added to his original Graig Farm Organics label. So far, the multiples have insisted on own label packaging. "If this business is going to work and develop, the ideal way is through a professional and committed producers group like ours which offers quality, consistency and complete traceability. The majority of our members are also in the farm assurance scheme," he said. Ian Turner, the group's full-time manager, is working with members to even out seasonality of production and, in addition to familiarising them with the concept of deadweight marketing, he is training them to grade animals live to match them to this system. Stock are slaughtered at half a dozen local abattoirs to cut down on journey times. Kennard maintains that the organic sector has to get away from the idea that the product merits a premium just because it is organic, and has to compete on quality terms with the conventional product. Ideally, he would like to see a coalition of organic sector lobbies burying their differences to promote a single British organic label for all packaging. {{MEAT }}