Aussie Farmers, Shoppers Bear Brunt of Supermarket Pricing

Farmers at the mercy of supermarket giants as cost-of-living pressures pile on are calling for an inquiry into the sector rather than the already-announced government review. The weekly grocery shop has continued to balloon, costing $37 (US$25) more than the previous year, but New South Wales (NSW) Farmers president Xavier Martin says those price increases are not moving up the supply chain which has forced producers to foot the bill. “Farmers are still receiving the same dysfunctional prices for their produce as they did when input costs were far lower,” Mr. Martin said. “(They) are being offered increasingly lower prices that often don’t cover their cost of production, with little justification and a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude from supermarkets.”...