The ACCC has taken legal action against four fresh produce suppliers and three executives for alleged price fixing of vegetables supplied to Aldi. The suppliers include Perfection Fresh Australia, Hydro Produce, Veli Velisha Fresh Produce, Velisha National Farms, and M Fragapane & Sons. The commission claims cartel conduct, including price fixing, occurred between 2018 and 2024, affecting broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, courgettes, cucumber, and iceberg lettuce in NSW, Victoria, and Queensland.

Perfection Fresh Australia is the country’s second-largest supplier of fresh vegetables. The ACCC alleges that the parties engaged in cartel conduct to fix prices on multiple occasions and submitted prices to Aldi according to the agreements. ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb emphasized the importance of protecting competition in fresh food supply chains for the benefit of Australian consumers.

Legal action is being pursued by the ACCC to obtain court declarations, financial penalties, and orders for compliance against the companies. The commission also aims to secure court declarations, financial penalties, orders barring individuals from corporate management positions, orders preventing indemnification of those individuals, and the recovery of legal expenses. Cass-Gottlieb reiterated the ACCC’s commitment to investigating cartel behavior and taking enforcement action where appropriate.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: ACCC targets four Aldi veg suppliers for alleged price fixing