Senator Heffernan, who is chairing the inquiry, said evidence contradicting the results of a recent Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) report into fertiliser pricing would be presented at a public hearing on September 19 in Canberra.

“We’ve got a stack of evidence that contradicts what the ACCC said,” Senator Heffernan said. “Some countries are paying only half of what we are paying here.”

Senator Heffernan said representatives from the government of Nauru would give evidence to the senate select committee saying they were getting $40 a tonne for their rock phosphate when the global price was $300.

The Department of Foreign Affairs

and the ACCC will also present

evidence at the inquiry.

The ACCC report, released at the end of August, cleared the major fertiliser players of price gouging during recent price hikes.

Senator Heffernan told the Senate last week that the chairman of the ACCC Graeme Samuel was useless and not looking hard enough.

He also said he had evidence of fertiliser resuppliers in Queensland charging sugar farmers who had bought fertiliser 18 per cent a month interest.