Fed: Fruit and veg growers slam govt on grocery code

AAP General News (Australia)
08-31-2004
Fed: Fruit and veg growers slam govt on grocery code

CANBERRA, Aug 31 AAP - Fruit and vegetable growers today accused the federal government
of stalling a decision that would ensure farmers got better prices for their produce.

AUSVEG, Australia's vegetable growers association, said Small Business Minister Joe
Hockey was deliberately putting off a decision on changes to the retail grocery code of
conduct.

Farmers are demanding that the code, which is currently voluntary, become mandatory
and be made tougher.

It follows concerns that the effective duopoly in the retail grocery sector meant farmers
were being squeezed, with prices lower than they should be.

Mr Hockey has set October 1 as the final date for a resolution of issues surrounding
the code, but has constantly refused to introduce a mandatory code.

AUSVEG chairman Michael Badcock said every day Mr Hockey put off a decision on the
issue was another day 20,000 fruit and vegetable growers had to put up with low prices.

"In Australia we pride ourselves on giving everyone a fair go but once again the regional
backbone, the farmer, is left out in the cold," he said in a statement.

"As if the drought and rising costs haven't been hard enough.

"Minister Hockey says he is listening but stalling a decision means he is just ignoring
what he has heard."

Mr Badcock said an enforceable, mandatory code of conduct would ensure Australian fruit
and vegetable growers could compete in a global market while consumers enjoyed clean and
fresh produce.

He said the government had already ignored the findings of two previous reviews.

AAP sw/cjh/jlw

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