ACCC puts the spotlight on agricultural supply chains

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced an increased focus on agriculture, including investigations into supply chains, regional workshops and advocacy.

Speaking at the ABARES Outlook Conference in Canberra, ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said new agriculture commissioner Mick Keogh would be working closely with a dedicated Agriculture Enforcement and Engagement Unit.

“The unit will allow us to build our internal knowledge around the complexities of agriculture supply chains. This will inform the analysis, and ultimately the decision-making, of the ACCC,” said Sims.

“The new unit will focus on investigating potential breaches of the Competition and Consumer Act and, where appropriate, taking enforcement action; increased engagement with the agriculture sector; and advocacy on agriculture issues, including through the use of market studies.”

Sims said the ACCC intends to focus enforcement activities on agricultural supply chains to address anticompetitive conduct or unfair trading practices taking place that breach the Act. However, he cautioned that the commission’s enforcement action was guided by the Act, and behaviour that some may perceive to be anticompetitive conduct or unfair trading may not be a breach of the law.

Sims said the ACCC is looking to increase engagement with farmers and other agriculture businesses to ensure they are aware of both their rights and obligations under the law.

“Our new Agriculture Unit will enable the ACCC to have a far greater presence in regional Australia… we will hold a series of workshops to speak with farmers and agribusinesses about how competition and fair trading issues affect them.”

Sims said market studies would also form part of the ACCC’s advocacy work in agriculture, enabling the ACCC to improve transparency about how a market operates, by examining particular agricultural supply chains and commercial processes.

The ACCC chairman said the organisation will continue work in regulating water and wheat ports, administering the Horticulture Code of Conduct, assessing mergers and strengthening the position of growers through collective bargaining.

Originally published here.