THE dominance of supermarket giants and the effect they have on the farming industry was highlighted by West Devon and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox last week, when he challenged the prime minister in the Commons. On the day the EU voted to lift the export ban on British beef, Mr Cox called on the Government to match ?rhetoric with action?. He asked Mr Blair if he would support calls for an investigation by the Competition Commission into the relationship between producers and retailers, particularly in the meat and dairy sectors. Mr Cox said: ?It has been five years since the prime minister recognised that the market dominance of supermarket chains meant they had farmers in an armlock. ?Since then, farm gate milk prices have fallen, farm incomes have plummeted, farm debt has risen to £9-billion and more than 5,000 dairy farms in England and Wales have gone out of business. Mr Blair told Mr Cox he had great sympathy for the position in which farmers found themselves and said the Government was ?looking carefully? at what it could do to respond to their concerns. Last Thursday, the Office of Fair Trading signalled its intention to refer the groceries retail market to the Competition Commission for more detailed investigations, subject to the findings of a new month-long consultation just launched. A final decision will be made in April. Mr Cox has welcomed this decision and has urged the OFT to ensure the inquiry would be wide ranging and look at all aspects of the problem presented by supermarket dominance. He said: ?Regardless of the outcome of the inquiry, consumers can still play a pivotal role in safeguarding British farming through the choices they make when shopping and by supporting local, independent producers and retailers. ?However, it is also imperative there is a legislative framework to safeguard producers and local traders from being driven to the walk by multi-billion pound supermarket chains. ?I am delighted the OFT is taking this matter seriously and is considering conducting a full investigation. I sincerely hope there will be an inquiry that will enable the commission to get to the bottom of the problem.?