While shopping in my local Oxford & Swindon Co-operative store recently, amongst other items, I purchased some vegetables.

I was somewhat shocked to discover at the checkout that a humble swede, which weighed approximately one and a half pounds, came to exactly £1.

I'm sure that the farmer who produced it was paid much less than half that amount.

The motto of the Co-op is keep prices low. With British farming suffering its worst crises for over 30 years, it's a shame that the farmgate prices are still not being reflected on the supermarket shelves.

J WITCHELL

Longcot

Oxon