CALLS are growing for the government to order an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission probe into supermarket pricing.

Supermarket prices have been attracting plenty of attention this year, with many in the livestock industry calling for more transparency after the market crashed last year.

A senate inquiry is set to look at supermarket pricing this year and the Federal Government has launched its own investigation to be headed up by former Labor MP Craig Emerson – however, an ACCC investigation has not been ordered.

Speaking to the ABC this morning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said treasurer Jim Chalmers was in talks with the ACCC about what measures can be brought in to make markets more transparent.

“That’s something that should be welcomed by the supermarkets so that everyone can see what the processes are,” he said.

New South Wales Farmers president Xavier Martin has joined the calls for an ACCC inquiry into pricing. He said he was not confident in the Government’s review of the grocery code.

However, a review of the food and grocery code of conduct by former competition minister Craig Emerson would likely do little to address the pressures farmers and families face as a result of supermarket power abuses, Mr Martin said.

“As the Food and Grocery Code only covers a small fragment of the supply chain, it will not delve into the core issues that need to be addressed, such as price transparency and the excessive profits gained through price gouging,” Mr Martin said.

“The Emerson review of the code will also rely solely on verbal testimony from stakeholders, rather than a rigorous ACCC analysis of the prices being charged to consumers, the prices being paid to suppliers and the costs supermarkets incur – which is what we desperately need.

“Failure to properly review these issues via the ACCC will likely force more farmers to exit the industry and lead to a reduction in food and fibre supply, further magnifying the rising food costs we are seeing today.”

Littleproud calls for urgency in ACCC inquiry

Nationals leader David Littleproud has been one of the main agitators calling for an ACCC inquiry. He said the government needs to act soon.

“We need an inquiry into disparities between farmgate and retail food pricing. A Senate inquiry this year won’t go far enough, while a review into the Food and Grocery Code wasted almost 100 days to even start its investigation,” Mr Littleproud said.

“The ACCC has the powers to properly investigate as part of a dedicated inquiry to ensure fairness for farmers and consumers and it’s baffling it has taken the government so long to realise.”

Mr Littleproud said he had already written to the ACCC, urging it to undertake an inquiry.

“The Nationals and Australia cannot continue to wait for Labor’s delays. As a result, I have also taken the step of writing directly to the ACCC on behalf of The Nationals to request them to undertake a public inquiry into these matters,” he said.

“I am pleased Treasurer Chalmers is now open to an ACCC inquiry into pricing practices and is expected to announce it shortly. It took The Nationals’ calling out of Labor’s gross failure to act, highlighting it had been almost 100 days, for Labor being shamed into action and finally appointing a Reviewer into the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct Review, which won’t go far enough.”

Source: NSW Farmers/David Littleproud/Anthony Albanese