Review finds fertiliser industry price gouging, intimidation
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A Federal Government review has found evidence of price gouging and intimidation in the Australian fertiliser industry.
The Senate Select Committee on Agricultural and Related Industries has been investigating pricing and supply arrangements in the fertiliser market since February.
It has released an interim report this week which says there are instances of price gouging, stock piling fertiliser, a failure to honour contracts and uncertainty in pricing.
Committee chairman Bill Heffernan says the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) powers need to be strengthened to deal with the problem.
"We took evidence from the ACCC and obviously one of the rudimentary things there was, we were able to take evidence and give people legal protection, whereas the ACCC don't have that protection and it's a weakness for a start," he said.
"But the actual forensic powers of the ACCC are pretty weak and of course the prosecuting powers are very limited."
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