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Price Determination in the Australian Food Industry A Report

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Figure 51. Fresh vegetables: Major drivers of prices and costs<br />

The fresh vegetable category is highly diverse <strong>in</strong> terms of <strong>the</strong> product groups, scale of enterprises <strong>in</strong> farm production and <strong>the</strong><br />

extent of <strong>in</strong>tegration that exists through <strong>the</strong> cha<strong>in</strong>. The sector is strongly driven by <strong>the</strong> competition at retail level between<br />

major supermarkets and o<strong>the</strong>r outlets for a share of <strong>the</strong> consumer dollar.<br />

1. Farm production factors<br />

• Production volume highly volatile<br />

and seasonal which has a major<br />

bear<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>the</strong> volumes com<strong>in</strong>g to<br />

market, result<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> large<br />

fluctuations <strong>in</strong> wholesale and retail<br />

prices.<br />

• High perishability and limited shelf<br />

life of product requires timely<br />

access to market once crops are<br />

planted and pick<strong>in</strong>g time<br />

committed.<br />

2. Value-cha<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>tegration<br />

• Increas<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>tegration of grow<strong>in</strong>g/pack<strong>in</strong>g<br />

and brand market<strong>in</strong>g activities by larger<br />

growers.<br />

• Increas<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>cidence of direct supply by<br />

<strong>in</strong>tegrated growers/packers to cha<strong>in</strong><br />

retailers, provid<strong>in</strong>g stable pric<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> order<br />

to secure long l<strong>in</strong>es of consistent quality<br />

product.<br />

• Increas<strong>in</strong>g scale efficiency of growers and<br />

pack<strong>in</strong>g houses.<br />

• Pressure on wholesale/agency<br />

enterprises through growth <strong>in</strong> direct<br />

supply bus<strong>in</strong>ess.<br />

3. The market<strong>in</strong>g approach<br />

• Increas<strong>in</strong>g brand<strong>in</strong>g of product by<br />

grower/packer has impact on<br />

market access to more stable<br />

returns at retail and wholesale.<br />

• Increased use of fresh food retail<br />

<strong>the</strong>mes and systems by major cha<strong>in</strong><br />

retailers as a po<strong>in</strong>t of differentiation<br />

has driven strong supply and quality<br />

management discipl<strong>in</strong>es back<br />

through <strong>the</strong> value cha<strong>in</strong> to suppliers<br />

and logistics systems.<br />

• Limited brand<strong>in</strong>g of fresh food at<br />

po<strong>in</strong>t of retail sale.<br />

Farm production Pack<strong>in</strong>g Wholesal<strong>in</strong>g Retail<br />

<strong>Food</strong> service<br />

<strong>Price</strong> <strong>Determ<strong>in</strong>ation</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Food</strong> <strong>Industry</strong> A <strong>Report</strong><br />

4. Regulation and<br />

compliance<br />

• Increas<strong>in</strong>g costs of<br />

do<strong>in</strong>g bus<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>in</strong> farm<br />

enterprises to meet<br />

environmental, product<br />

<strong>in</strong>tegrity and food<br />

safety demands.<br />

• Meet<strong>in</strong>g ethical and<br />

product <strong>in</strong>tegrity<br />

demands.<br />

5. Trade impacts<br />

• Limited <strong>in</strong>fluence of exports<br />

on domestic market<br />

dynamics, as volumes are<br />

generally m<strong>in</strong>or only.<br />

• Export volumes are<br />

<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> scale but<br />

based on market w<strong>in</strong>dows<br />

<strong>in</strong>to premium fresh markets<br />

<strong>in</strong> Asian cities.<br />

• Limited overall <strong>in</strong>fluence of<br />

imports or prevail<strong>in</strong>g<br />

commodity prices.<br />

6. Technology and <strong>in</strong>novation<br />

• Increas<strong>in</strong>g capital <strong>in</strong>tensity <strong>in</strong> largescale<br />

production and <strong>in</strong> pack<strong>in</strong>g house<br />

efficiency is chang<strong>in</strong>g operat<strong>in</strong>g cost<br />

structures.<br />

• Limited transparency of market prices<br />

and costs through <strong>the</strong> wholesale<br />

market sector.<br />

• Greater <strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>novation to<br />

improve production consistency and<br />

quality, varietal performance and<br />

handl<strong>in</strong>g efficiencies <strong>in</strong> harvest<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

grad<strong>in</strong>g and pack<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

• Innovation <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>imal process<strong>in</strong>g and<br />

pre-preparation of fresh vegetables for<br />

more convenient end use <strong>in</strong> home and<br />

food service.<br />

7. Retail market dynamics<br />

• Strong competition at<br />

retail level between major<br />

cha<strong>in</strong>s and between<br />

cha<strong>in</strong>s and o<strong>the</strong>r forms of<br />

convenience and<br />

specialty retail.<br />

• Greater demand for<br />

convenience and lifestyle<br />

solutions <strong>in</strong> meals and<br />

food preparation.<br />

• Greater preference for<br />

consistency of product<br />

availability and quality <strong>in</strong><br />

retail presentation.<br />

56

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