EFFICIENT, TRANSPARENT AND FAIR DOMESTIC MARKETS (RETAIL AND WHOLESALE) ARE ESSENTIAL TO DELIVERING RESILIENT AND INNOVATIVE AGRICULTURE BUSINESSES.
Horticulture businesses are heavily reliant on the domestic retail market due to the perishable nature of the product and limited strength of alternative markets. Efficient, transparent, and fair domestic wholesale and retail markets are essential to deliver resilient and innovative agricultural businesses and in turn, safe, high quality and affordable fruit and vegetables for Australian consumers.
Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers advocates for:
The ACCC be resourced to closely monitor the trading practices of retailers, including authority to investigate themes of complaints received at any time and a requirement to report annually.
Amend competition law concerning collective bargaining class exemptions specifically for horticulture businesses to overcome information asymmetry.
Invest to boost the capacity of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to progress market access opportunities overseas to reduce farmers reliance on dealing with domestic retailers.
Amendments be made to the Horticulture Code of Conduct to support transparency and fairness.
Investment into capacity building within the horticulture sector to support critical business management and planning skills amongst producers.
A horticulture/perishable goods specific Food and Grocery Code be developed in the 2028 review of the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct.