France’s competition watchdog fined companies and lobby groups representing nearly the entire poultry sector on Wednesday for discussing common price demands with retailers in what it called a lenient decision adapted to the industry’s difficulties.
The Autorite de la Concurrence fined 21 chicken, turkey, duck and rabbit producers and two organizations a total of 15.2 million euros ($17.2 million) for holding illegal meetings between 2000 and 2007, notably to discuss a joint strategy to pass on a surge in grain prices.
France is the European Union’s largest poultry producer and its industry has been severely hurt by high prices for grain, which make up around two-thirds of production costs.
Full content: World Poultry
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