LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - British supermarket group Morrisons' dealings with suppliers were "robust" but fair, its boss said on Thursday.
Asked if Morrisons believed some suppliers might be using inflation as an excuse to hike prices more than necessary, Chief Executive David Potts told reporters the group had "strong" relationships with its suppliers.
"The discussions and negotiations that our buying team have (with suppliers) are robust and it is a two-way street and it's right that they're robust and long may it continue," he told reporters after Morrisons reported full year results.
On Sunday, John Allan, the chairman of Britain's biggest supermarket group, Tesco, told BBC television some food companies had pushed for illegitimate price rises - comments that baffled the head of the country's farmers union and food industry groups.
On Tuesday, the finance chief of Associated British Foods , one of the country's biggest food producers said its grocery margin was down year-on-year. (Reporting by James Davey; editing by Sarah Young)
AB Foods (ABF)
Tesco (TSCO)