A PYMNTS Company

ACCC Launches Federal Court Action Over Alleged Vegetable Price Fixing at ALDI

By  |  September 3, 2025
ACCC website homepage

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched civil proceedings in the Federal Court against four vegetable suppliers and three senior executives, alleging that they engaged in price fixing while supplying fresh produce to ALDI supermarkets between 2018 and 2024.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    According to a statement, the companies involved are Perfection Fresh Australia, Hydro Produce, Veli Velisha Fresh Produce and Velisha National Farms, along with M. Fragapane & Sons. The individual executives named include Velisha National Farms Director and Chief Executive Catherine Velisha, Senior Sales Manager Kaushik Vora, and M. Fragapane & Sons General Sales Manager Roberto Nave.

    The ACCC alleges that the businesses coordinated prices for essential household vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, iceberg lettuce, cucumber, Brussels sprouts and zucchini across stores in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. Per the statement, the alleged cartel conduct occurred on at least 28 occasions when suppliers made or attempted to make arrangements to set or maintain prices. On a further 48 occasions, one or more suppliers allegedly submitted prices to ALDI in line with these agreements.

    “Cartel conduct, whether by coordinating prices or agreeing on terms of bids with competitors, is anti-competitive, and is illegal,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said. She added that the alleged behavior affected staple products across multiple states and undermined fair market competition.

    Read more: ACCC Launches Preliminary Inquiry Into REA Group Over Alleged Price Gouging

    According to the ACCC, the conduct primarily related to ALDI’s “agile pricing” category, which requires suppliers to provide weekly quotes on certain vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower and iceberg lettuce. The watchdog is seeking civil penalties, declarations, compliance orders and costs against the companies, and is also pursuing penalties, disqualification orders and non-indemnification orders against the executives.

    The businesses named in the case are major suppliers in the Australian fresh produce market. Perfection Fresh Australia, based in New South Wales, is one of the largest vegetable wholesalers in the country. Hydro Produce operates nationwide, while Velisha National Farms and M. Fragapane & Sons are both based in Victoria and distribute to multiple states.

    The ACCC has stated it will continue to prioritize investigations into cartel behavior in the fresh food supply chain, stressing that competition is vital to keeping consumer prices in check.

    Source: ACCC