Unfair price pressure: Styrian farmers in the fight against trade giants!

Unfair price pressure: Styrian farmers in the fight against trade giants!

The "Apfel-Causa" currently causes a stir and highlights the unequal distribution of power within the Austrian food industry. As reports Orf Styria , this is a delay in payment of a food wholesaler when ordering apples. The chairman of the industry association fruit and vegetables, Manfred Kohlfürst, makes it clear that this only affects a private dealer and the majority of apple farmers are not affected. However, complaints about quality are an issue in which the producers concerned need support.

In 2024, the fairness office recorded alarming numbers on unfair trading practices. The Report of the Fairness-Büos According to over 800 complaints from farmers and food producers were registered. Federal Minister Norbert Tettschnig said concerns about the high market concentration, which enables the largest retail chains to play their power at the expense of the smaller producers. "This high market concentration leads to hard price negotiations and an imbalance that forces many producers to accept unfair conditions," he emphasizes.

unfair practices in focus

The dark sides of the food system are also shown in other areas. According to the fairness office, it always happens that retail chains are pressing their actual purchase price while the prices for consumers are increasing. A terrifying example is that a trading company increased the consumer price by 30 %, while the producer received only 2 % less. These practices in particular endanger the existence of small and medium -sized companies. The impression of third-party services and exclusive delivery contracts that drive start-ups into unfair dependence are part of the problem that wants to take action in turn by looking for the dialogue with the retail chains.

The challenges in the food market are therefore diverse and require urgent measures to ensure fairness along the value chain.