Queensland Food Farmers’ Commissioner takes on major supermarkets Coles and Woolworths

Queensland’s new Food Farmers’ Commissioner has thrown down the gauntlet to major supermarkets on his first day in office, vowing to crack down on “mafia tactics” against farmers.

Charles Burke, former CEO of Agforce, has been announced as interim commissioner. He will report on behaviour and business practices that are harmful to farmers and consumers, and will confidentially mediate disputes.

“I’m going as hard and fast as I can,” Burke said.

“I want to set up a system where people can voice their concerns and draw attention to potential problems. I need to do that as soon as possible.”

The role was one of eight recommendations from the Queensland parliamentary inquiry into supermarket pricing, which heard allegations of “mafia tactics” and profiteering.

“Nothing is surprising. Nothing is new. Some of these issues have been in our sights for many, many years,” Mr. Burke said.

“The challenge now is that it becomes more open and that there is more publicity and understanding for it.”

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Supermarket control

Earlier this week, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched legal proceedings against Coles and Woolworths, alleging that the supermarket giants breached consumer law by misleading consumers with discounts on hundreds of products.

The new commissioner will not have the power to take action against major supermarkets, but will work with the ACCC and other agencies.

Queensland Agricultural Industry Development Minister Mark Furner said growers could make anonymous complaints to the commissioner.

“That will be one of the first places Charles will be reaching out to Woolworths and Coles, and undoubtedly the other retailers, but also the agricultural sector as a whole… to explore that relationship,” Furner said.

“You need a situation where anonymity is guaranteed and farmers can have their voices heard.

Tom Smith, chairman of the Supermarket Prices Commission, said the inquiry was about transparency.

“If a punnet of cherry tomatoes is bought at the farm for $0.70 and sold on the shelf for $3, consumers need to know that story,” he said.

“They need to know why the big supermarkets are exploiting our farmers so much.”

The future of the role

The $300,000 interim position is for 12 months.

Mr Burke said taxpayers would also pay for a small team of support staff.

“Broadly speaking, that budget will not be too burdensome if we can achieve significant change,” he said.

Dale Hollis from the Bundaberg Ag-Food and Fibre Alliance hoped the role could be expanded in the future to allow farmers to better negotiate with energy and water suppliers.

“There are about 145 different crops grown in this region, from snow peas to cut flowers to sugar cane and everything in between,” Mr Hollis said.

“(We) look forward to working with (the Commissioner) on the actual expansion.”