Mr. Brian Rushe:

It is the most disingenuous form of marketing. It is a form of deception. They give a product a name that sounds like a farmhouse brand, a locally produced product or even a farmer-owned co-op. There is a good reason to do that. If you are trying to sell product, you are trying to create the impression this has a direct connection to a farmer. It is something we have highlighted and feel strongly about. Most customers want to support farmers, we find. There is an understanding that they need to support farmers. If they are presented with a brand that sounds and looks farmer owned or connected, they will be buy it, but we know it is not. We have serious issue with the use of fake farms, co-ops or brands. We see them as own-branded products. If a product is an own brand, it should be labelled as an own brand.

An issue with using that kind of labelling on fruit is when the fruit is out of season, the retailer will use an imported product but will not change the packaging. There is an imported product in the bag but it has an Irish-sounding name.

It is creating an impression that it is locally sourced, grown and supported when it is anything but.