Olam bid for Namoi Cotton doomed, says former competition boss

“Mr Fels saw no way the ACCC could approve an Olam takeover of the ASX-listed company’s strategic fibre and food infrastructure assets in NSW and Queensland.He said barriers to entering the industry were high and that if the deal went ahead, Olam would have “considerable power to influence the whole future structure and competitive nature of the industry”.“The deferral of the ACCC ruling is a sign that there are potentially significant problems in the merger being approved,” Mr Fels said. The regulator had been scheduled to hand down its ruling last Thursday and has not provided a revised date.“

In the fin review today…