Farmers Attack Fertilizer Pricing (Oz)

[jpak]

http://therural.yourguide.com.au/news/local/general/farmers-attack-fertiliser-pricing/1220675.html

Junee Senator Bill Heffernan is heading a senate inquiry where farmers have accused major fertiliser producers of a lack of price transparency and possible monopolistic behaviour

Fertiliser suppliers and farmers made the claims of market distortion in submissions to the senate inquiry headed by Junee Senator Bill Heffernan, which is investigating possible cartel behaviour in the fertiliser and chemical industries.
While not wanting to pre-empt the inquiry's conclusion, Mr Heffernan said the submissions showed there was a discrepancy between fertiliser prices and costs.

“I think it’d be fair to say prices have been based on what market can bear rather than on the cost of production,” Mr Heffernan said.

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The price of fertiliser products has spiralled in the last year, with the majority going up by 100 to 200 per cent and some products rising as much as 400 per cent.

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[kenny blankenship]

1. Radical antigov Republican Militia men have long decried rising fertilizer prices

here in the US. Coincidentally, rising diesel prices also seem to make them see red. It's "unfair and discriminates against [ their ] lifestyle," they say.