Giant SA glasshouse owners admit veggie price fixing
A fruit and veg business that owns a Two Wells glasshouse temporarily closed during the tomato virus outbreak has admitted to ‘cartel conduct’.
New South Wales-based Perfection Fresh could pay a $12 million penalty after admitting to fixing the prices of vegetables sold to ALDI.
It follows the business – behind the southern hemisphere’s largest glasshouse at Two Wells in SA – admitting to nine breaches of the law.
The Perfection Fresh glasshouse production facility was most recently in the news in 2024 when it was forced to stand down hundreds of workers after its glasshouse was closed temporarily in response to an outbreak of a tomato virus.
While a court will determine whether the proposed penalty is appropriate, Perfection Fresh and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) came to an agreement and jointly submitted the penalty alongside a new competition law compliance programme.
While the case stemming back to 2019/2020 does not involve tomatoes grown in SA, the company has been found to have engaged in cartel conduct around selling other vegetables it grows nationwide.
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The ACCC commenced civil proceedings in the Federal Court in September 2025, alleging that Perfection Fresh, three other suppliers and three individuals engaged in price fixing while supplying vegetables to ALDI.
The ACCC alleged, and Perfection Fresh admitted, that on 11 occasions between 2019 and 2020, the company engaged in cartel conduct by fixing the prices of broccoli, cauliflower and iceberg lettuce supplied to ALDI stores in NSW.
“Cartel conduct undermines competition and can increase prices, harming consumers and raising the cost of doing business,” ACCC Commissioner Luke Woodward said.
“Enforcing cartel laws and protecting competition in the supply of fresh food are ongoing priorities for the ACCC.”
Perfection Fresh was approached for comment.
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