Tommy, Organic Farmer, Northern Ireland.

• Sector: Farming (Organic Produce)

• Business Size: Family-run, 5 workers

• Location: Northern Ireland

• Experience: 40 years in farming

• Impact: Supermarkets delaying payments for fresh produce have forced Tommy to delay buying seeds for the next season, jeopardising his harvest.

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“I’ve been farming my whole life, running a small organic farm with my family. We supply fresh produce to local shops and a few supermarkets. Last year, one of the supermarkets delayed paying an invoice for over four months. It was £20,000, which is a lot of money for us.

I needed that payment to buy seeds and fertiliser for the next planting season. Without it, I had to cut back on what we could grow. That’s not just a financial hit—it’s a blow to everything we stand for. We’ve built relationships with customers who expect variety and quality, and not being able to deliver on that was tough.

The stress affected my whole family. We had arguments about how to make ends meet and whether we could even keep the farm going. I’ve always prided myself on paying our workers fairly and on time, but I had to let one of our part-time staff go, which felt awful.

Supermarkets have so much power, and they know it. They hold all the cards in these situations. I’ve started diversifying where we sell—more local markets and direct-to-consumer options—but the supermarket contracts are still important. Late payments like that make me wonder if it’s worth it.”