Lycross Farm in Somerset
They produce 25 tons of Cheddar here every single week
And when it's ready
The cheese is offered to the supermarkets
But farmers say the big retailers already have too much power
And the takeover of Safeways could make them even stronger
So
Nick
You're the farmer here
If Safeways are taken over by say Asda Wal-Mart
Huge company
What's that gonna mean for you
It'll probably mean we're offered lower prices for our products
Why
They're global purchasers
I think they'll just have a
A bigger pression on what we're actually selling
Now
If Morrisons on the other hand
They're much smaller than Asda Wal-Mart
If Morrisons get Safeways
Is that kind of better news for you
Yes
It is to an
To an extent
But it means there'd be four major players in the market rather than just a consolidation of the ones that we've got at the moment
So that gives you more power
Absolutely
In the shop next door
The farmer sells direct to the customer
And can set his own prices
But outside
It's the supermarkets that call the shots
Producers say the sale of Safeways may force farmers together
The buyers are getting together and getting bigger and the farmers are staying separate and accepting the price they're given
So it's a bit of a downward slide
So what's the answer for farmers then
Get together
Farmers know there's no much they can do about the sale of Safeways
Apart from making it clear that shareholders and supermarket customers aren't the only ones who'll be affected
John Kay
BBC News
Somerset