The major supermarkets have been accused of using "mafia tactics" on Queensland farmers during a parliamentary probe into retail and farmgate pricing. Growers have requested protection from the grocery giants, fearing they could face repercussions for speaking out.
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00:00Bundaberg is one of Queensland's biggest food bowls, producing more than a billion
00:06dollars worth of fresh fruit and vegetables, but growers say it's the supermarkets that
00:12have all the control.
00:13At the end of the day the consumers are thinking that the farmer's making the money.
00:18The farmer's not getting anywhere near enough to even survive.
00:21Farmers have raised their concerns during a Queensland hearing into disparities between
00:26what they're paid at the farm gate and what consumers are charged.
00:30The big supermarkets are standing over our growers and telling them that they have to
00:35drop their price so that the big supermarkets don't have to affect their price, that is
00:40mafia style tactics.
00:42Some farmers requested closed hearings fearing a backlash.
00:46Any farmer who speaks out against supermarkets will suddenly find themselves with a lot of
00:51perishable product they can't sell.
00:54That's the kind of bully bully tactics that the supermarkets use.
00:58Trevor Cross is a major grower of tomatoes and zucchini.
01:02He's calling for a cap on how much supermarkets can mark up groceries, a move he says would
01:08benefit both farmers and consumers.
01:11Just a percentage that's set there so we can all actually get a piece of the pie.
01:16Hearings continue in Cairns tomorrow before returning to Brisbane where the supermarket
01:21chains will be questioned.
01:23As the committee begins its public hearings it will form recommendations to be put to
01:28the government and from these recommendations farmers are hoping for a fairer system.