Johannesburg - There will be no submissions from interested parties - such as trade unions - at the Lancewood consent order hearing, the Competition Tribunal said on Tuesday.
A consent order application involving the Competition Commission and Lancewood Cheese is scheduled to be heard by the Competition Tribunal on Wednesday at 10:00.
This was in effect a negotiated agreement between Lancewood Cheese and the Competition Commission, the tribunal said.
Lancewood Cheese had admitted to contravening the Competition Act by engaging in price fixing and agreed to pay an administrative penalty of R100 000.
It also agreed to fully co-operate in the prosecution of milk processors, Parmalat, Ladismith Cheese, Woodlands Dairy, Milkwood Dairy and Nestle, which the commission alleged were engaged in anti-competitive practices.
This negotiated agreement followed an investigation into anti-competitive behaviour in the milk industry which began in February 2005, according to the tribunal.
The Competition Commission alleged that Clover Industries, Clover SA, Parmalat, Ladismith Cheese, Woodlands Dairy, Lancewood, Nestle and Milkwood Dairy were engaging in anti-competitive practices in contravention of the Competition Act.
These practices included exchanging information between competitors; milk exchange and supply agreements between milk processors; exclusive supply agreements with producers; fixing retail prices and market allocation and fixing retail and selling prices.
The commission negotiated a leniency agreement with Clover, granting the company leniency on a charge of fixing the selling price and/or trading milk and process products.
This was in return for co-operating with the commission in the prosecution of the other milk processors, the tribunal said.
- Sapa