The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is to commence a market study into the cattle and beef industry in Australia.
The study will examine competition, efficiency, transparency and trading issues in the beef and cattle supply chain.
“Competition and consumer issues in the agriculture sector are a priority for the ACCC,” ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said.
“The cattle and beef market study is the first of several agricultural market studies that the ACCC will conduct over the coming years. A number of ACCC Commissioners and I will be closely involved in the market study, including at the public forums.”
The ACCC is seeking information through written and oral submissions, and will hold public forums in regional areas across the country to hear directly from interested parties. The ACCC will also be accepting confidential submissions.
“We understand that some market participants may fear retribution from commercial partners for speaking to the ACCC. Equally, firms may be reluctant to provide the data we need to understand the complete picture,” ACCC Commissioner Mick Keogh said.
“Therefore, we have established a strong confidentiality regime to assure interested parties that we will treat any confidential information sensitively. We will also accept information from anonymous sources,” Keogh said.
