Federal crossbench MP Bob Katter says politicians should be more worried about the market power of Coles and Woolworths rather than "crying" over asylum seekers.
Supermarket giant Woolworths has been accused of using "brutal negotiations" to squeeze price cuts from suppliers to help fund a price war with rival Coles.
"You couldn't possibly produce at the money levels that are being offered by Woolworths and Coles'' ... Bob Katter.Credit: Andrew Meares
Mr Katter said such tactics hurt farmers and producers and should be addressed at the federal level.
"You couldn't possibly produce at the money levels that are being offered by Woolworths and Coles," he told AAP on Friday.
"And if you don't like it they just get it from overseas and the government has absolutely no restrictions whatsoever on food coming in from overseas."
Mr Katter also claimed some federal MPs - "the same ones who are crying about boat people" - don't care about the tough times being faced by the farming community.
The Queensland MP said coalition and Labor MPs had close relationships with the two supermarket giants.
"When they talk about fruit and vegetables they talk about Coles and Woolies, not the farmers," he said.
The leader of the Katter Australian Party plans to introduce three private member's bills to parliament to regulate the price of milk, label imported produce with health hazard warnings and the market share of big supermarkets to 20 per cent.
Mr Katter says every piece of fruit sold in Australia should be labelled with a sticker saying "this produce has not been grown or processed under Australian health and hygiene standards and may be dangerous and injurious to your health."
"This approach is more than justified," he said.
He said China treated its cabbages with formaldehyde and some foreign apple growers used the antibiotic streptomycin on their apples to control fire blight.
Independent senator Nick Xenophon wants Woolworths to appear before a Senate inquiry to explain complaints by suppliers they are being asked to find cost savings of between five and 10 per cent.
AAP