Tuesday, 14 July 2015 06:00

Stock firms under fire

Written by 

LIvestock firms PGG Wrightson, Elders New Zealand (Carrfields) and Rural Livestock are facing claims of price fixing by Commerce Commission. 

The commission is the country’s competition regulatory agency. On its website it describes its purpose as, “…enforcing legislation that promotes competition in NZ markets and prohibits misleading and deceptive conduct by traders”.

It claims that the three livestock firms fixed fees charged during the implementation of the NAIT national livestock tagging scheme. Its consumer protection authority is investigating fees charged during the adoption of the scheme.

A spokesman for the commission says it will file proceedings against the three companies and five undisclosed individuals before the end of July. 

In a statement to Rural News the commission said: “The commission can confirm that its investigation into alleged price fixing by NZ livestock companies is in its final stages.  The commission expects to file proceedings against PGG Wrightson, Elders New Zealand and Rural Livestock Ltd and five individuals by the end of July. We cannot comment further at this time.”

Last week PGG Wrightson advised that the commission believed it had breached the Commerce Act over how it charged fees during the scheme’s implementation.

More like this

Featured

Editorial: The Value of Credibility

OPINION: In politics, credibility is and should be big. It must surely rank higher than charisma, which is quite trite and superficial. Yet, voters nowadays are often wooed and influenced by how someone looks or talks at a superficial level. TV plays a huge role in this.

Kaikōura Families Get School Run Lifeline After Storm

Kaikōura families affected by July's severe storm have found a practical solution to a problem that's kept some children away from regular schooling for weeks: a washed-out section of Inland Kaikōura Road, which has stopped the local school bus from running its usual route.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

'LinkedIn Greens'

OPINION: The same mainstream media muppets that brought you Jacindamania in 2017 have been flat out pimping for the Opportunities…

UK Warning

OPINION: Your old mate reckons the atrocious way farmers in the UK are treated by their lords and masters in…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter