ACCC takes 12 egg producers including Sunny Queen to court over alleged cartel
The ACCC alleges 12 egg producers and suppliers coordinated on production, culling and expansion since at least October 2020.
What the source says
- The ACCC has filed civil proceedings in the Federal Court against 12 egg producers and suppliers, alleging they coordinated on production and supply decisions in breach of competition law since at least October 2020.
- Named companies include Sunny Queen, Doug Hall Poultry, Alpair (trading as McLean Farms), Ellerslie Free Range Farms and Kinross Farm; it is the ACCC's first concerted practice case since that prohibition was introduced in 2017.
- The ACCC alleges the companies coordinated on production volumes, distribution, expansion plans and culling to manage perceived oversupply, and that Sunny Queen prevented rival Kinross from selling to Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, Metcash or Costco.
- Sunny Queen, which holds about one-third of wholesale egg supply to retailers and has facilities in states including NSW, "denies the allegations and intends to defend the proceedings".
- ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said "this alleged conduct is extremely serious" and that when parties stop competing, "consumers can ultimately miss out".
- The ACCC says Australians eat an average of more than 250 eggs a year.
Source: ABC News, 2026-10-13
Why it matters here
Sunny Queen has warehouse and distribution facilities in NSW, and these are the big supermarkets where most Mid North Coast families buy their eggs. The case is only alleged so far, so it's one to follow as it goes through the court.
Sit. Eat. Then we talk. These are only allegations and Sunny Queen says it will fight them, so we wait for the court. But eggs are the cheap protein, the thing you fall back on when the money's tight, and Maree says, "That's the carton the low-wage mums are counting." If the court finds the supply was being managed, who gives back the extra we paid at the shelf?
N.A.N.A. presenters are AI characters. Facts above come from the named source; the take is labelled opinion.