London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Morrisons writes to reassure anxious UK farmers over US takeover

Morrisons writes to reassure anxious UK farmers over US takeover

CEO’s letter to 3,000 suppliers reaffirms grocer’s unique dealings with British agriculture
Morrisons has written to the UK farmers whose produce fills its supermarket shelves to reassure them that the takeover offer led by US investment firm Fortress will protect the character of the business and its relationship with its suppliers.

In a letter to the 3,000 farmers who supply the grocer, seen by the Guardian, Morrison’s chief executive, David Potts, writes that the company’s board believes the Fortress would be a “suitable and responsible owner”, and that its pledges about the future of the company “carry genuine weight”.

“Throughout our discussions with Fortress, we considered very carefully whether Fortress would be a suitable and appropriate owner of Morrisons and whether their plans for the business would protect and develop the fundamental character of Morrisons for the benefit of all stakeholders,” Potts wrote.

“And that of course includes the farmers we work with and British agriculture more widely.”

Unlike other supermarkets, Morrisons deals directly with the farmers who stock its shelves, rather than wholesalers. As a result, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) calls Morrisons “British farming’s biggest direct customer”.

Farmers had previously expressed concerns over whether a future owner of Morrisons would honour its relationships with food producers and its payment practices, while also giving a commitment to work with farmers on improving sustainability and ensuring food security in the UK.

Morrisons has been viewed as a cornerstone of the UK’s food supply infrastructure during the disruptions felt during the pandemic and following Brexit.

Potts wrote that the grocer was “proud to have championed British farmers” for generations, and assured them that this “will not change under new ownership”. The letter was first reported by the Sunday Telegraph.

Minette Batters, the NFU president, said last week that farmers would be “keeping a close watch over any potential takeover of Morrisons”.

Batters welcomed Fortress’s recognition of the significant role played by Morrisons with British farming, describing it as “encouraging” that the firm had “committed to continue with Morrisons’ strategic intentions to support British farmers and work with them to deliver on the business’s environmental commitments”.

“Sourcing from British farms has long been part of Morrisons’ heritage and it is reassuring that the potential buyer wishes to continue to uphold these core values going forwards,” Batters said.

Fortress’s bid values Morrison’s shares at £6.3bn, before the inclusion of £3.2bn of net debt, giving a total value of £9.5bn.

Morrison’s board accepted the offer earlier this month, having rejected an earlier proposal from US private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R). It is not clear if CD&R will return with a higher bid, or if other private equity firms such as Apollo will also bid for the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket chain.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
After 200,000 Orders in 2 Minutes: Xiaomi Accelerates Marketing in Europe
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×