Farmers paid too little, shoppers charged too much – it’s a win-win for Australia’s supermarkets | Supermarkets

Farmers are pressuring supermarkets to raise produce prices, and shoppers want shelf prices lowered. Can both win?

As inflation eases, supermarkets would typically lean on suppliers to cut prices, with some of those savings passed on to frustrated shoppers to dissuade them from buying less or switching grocery stores in search of a better deal.

But in a period marked by a Senate inquiry and year-long pricing investigation by the competition regulator, every major supermarket pricing decision is being scrutinised, making any attempt to reduce prices paid to farmers a potential flashpoint for…