Hundreds of farmers have gone out to protest at supermarket distribution centres in recent days. DCs of Albert Heijn and Jumbo have been blocked for days. Because trucks cannot reach the premises, supplies are getting squeezed.
The protests are taking place across the country. In Raalte, a Jumbo distribution centre was blocked for more than 24 hours. Albert Heijn suffered at distribution posts in Zwolle, Oosterhout and Zaandam. Moreover, the actions were not limited to the weekend: on Monday morning, hundreds of farmers blocked a Jumbo logistics centre in Breda. A group of about 10 activists even paid an unexpected visit to the home of Jumbo chief Frits van Eerd during the night from Sunday to Monday.
Albert Heijn abandons talks
The farmers are demanding higher prices for their products and want supermarkets to choose home-grown suppliers more often, instead of cheaper alternatives from abroad. Albert Heijn pledged earlier this weekend to sit down with the farmers before Christmas, provided they stopped the blockades. The wholesale grocer is now refraining from doing so because the farmers have not complied with that demand.
Delays and empty shelves
Both Albert Heijn and Jumbo already announced that the actions might lead to empty shelves and delays in the delivery of groceries ordered online. Thousands of customers could not receive their groceries last weekend. "It is very annoying. We hoped the farmers would realise that they are duping people with this," an Albert Heijn spokesperson said on Saturday.
Disruption of food supply
Trade association Central Bureau Levensmiddelenhandel (CBL), called the farmers' blockades "unacceptable and irresponsible in corona time" in a response to NU.nl. People use the delivery service to avoid having to go out. That home delivery service is now compromised. Moreover, because of the empty shelves in the shops, customers have to make an extra visit to the shop to still buy things. The CBL: "That goes against the message to spread shopping as much as possible." The trade association says it is in talks with the authorities to prevent further disruption of food supplies.
Image: Jan van Dasler / Shutterstock.com
