Priority Issues

For several years, ACGC has actively championed increased Government oversight and support to address the imbalance of market power within the contract chicken and turkey industry. This advocacy reached its peak in 2025 and 2026, as ACGC participated in the Government’s inquiry led by ABARES, known as the ‘ABARES Chicken Meat Industry Review’. 

Significant structural changes are needed to create fair contracts, increase pricing transparency, and give growers tools to make informed business decisions, supporting the sector’s long-term viability and balance with processors. 

To ensure stability and confidence for Australian chicken growers, it's vital to replace outdated frameworks with strong, fair systems for the future.

The Interim Report identifies that a Prescribed Code of Conduct is one option to be considered to address the identified market failure. ACGC strongly believes that a Prescribed Mandatory Code of Conduct is the only remedy to address the issues as identified in the Interim Report, and development of a Code must be advanced without delay.

Such an instrument will provide the much-needed legislative backing, correcting what is a clear and widely reported imbalance of market power, enforce transparent pricing and fair contracts, and therefore safeguarding Australia’s vital chicken-meat supply. 

ACGC strongly supports the findings of the ABARES Interim Report which identified that: 

• Market failure exists within the chicken meat industry caused by unequal access to information and imperfect competition. 

• Industry issues are largely systemic and are experienced by a large proportion of contracted growers. 

• Without change, unnecessary adjustment in the chicken meat industry has the capacity to affect supply and consumer prices.