Northern NSW Poultry Industry Faces Fee Turmoil
NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA - A NSW north coast chicken grower representative says the poultry meat industry is in a state of "minor anarchy", with numerous disputes over fees between processors and growers around the country.According to ABC, Myra Virtue says Sunnybrand Chickens and a group of 11 growers have failed to reach an agreement over fees, despite two years of negotiations.
She says so far it's cost the growers a quarter of a million dollars in legal charges and there's no resolution in sight.
Mrs Virtue says the Poultry Meat Industry Committee has been stripped of any real power to compel processors and growers to strike a deal.
"The industry has moved into a period of minor anarchy," she says.
"It appears there is an abuse of power, the power being they who have the most money and in most cases it's not the grower.
"You have unresolved disputes and it's getting out of control."