vegetables

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Joint collaboration between CMAA
and FMA in 2016
FRESH PRODUCE MARKETS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN
THE AUSTRALIAN VEGETABLE INDUSTRY, ACTING AS AN
ESSENTIAL LINK IN THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SUPPLY CHAIN.
VEGETABLES AUSTRALIA SHARES AN UPDATE OF THE LATEST
DEVELOPMENTS IN AUSTRALIA’S CENTRAL MARKET SYSTEM.
The Central Markets
Association of Australia
(CMAA) is the peak body
representing the owners and
authorities of the five wholesale
markets around Australia,
including Brisbane Markets,
Market City in Western Australia,
Melbourne Markets, the South
Australian Produce Market and
Sydney Market. Fresh Markets
Australia (FMA) is the national
organisation representing each
of the six Market Chambers.
FMA and CMAA’s unified
goal is to enhance the central
market system so it is the
preferred choice of customers
and potential customers seeking
the best means of marketing,
distributing or acquiring fruit and
vegetables in Australia.
Ongoing change
2016 is shaping up to be a
big year for Australia’s central
market system. Industry
ownership continues to
strengthen, with the recent sale
of the Perth Markets to Perth
Markets Limited, a consortium of
industry-based investors formed
by the Chamber of Fruit and
Vegetable Industries in Western
Australia.
In Victoria, the recent move
of the Melbourne Market to its
new location in Epping is set to
provide substantial economic
benefits to the state through a
more efficient market precinct.
Horticulture Code of
Conduct
One of the strategic imperatives
of the central markets is to
provide a national position on
industry and government issues.
In June 2015, the Federal
Government announced it
would conduct an independent
review of the mandatory
Horticulture Code of Conduct,
which was a significant win for
the fresh produce industry.
Stakeholders from across
all central markets lodged
submissions supporting
changes to the Code and
the Review Panel made 13
recommendations to the
Federal Government for
changes to the Code and its
application. The central markets
support the majority of these
recommendations, however
it opposes those that do not
promote a fair, commercial and
workable outcome.
Services for industry
As well as providing advocacy
services on a range of national
issues, FMA also provides
market-based dispute resolution
services (for growers and
wholesalers) and Australia’s
largest and most comprehensive
horticulture testing program.
FreshTest is an FMA initiative
to provide low-cost maximum
residue limits and microbial
testing for wholesalers and
their growers in Australia’s
Fast facts
central markets. The tests are
confidential and are used for
verification for food safety and
quality assurance systems.
Since its introduction in
December 2001, FreshTest has
grown to become the largest
and most comprehensive
horticultural residue-testing
program undertaken in
Australia. It continues to grow as
more industry participants make
use of the facility.
i
For more information, visit
www.freshmarkets.com.au or
phone (07) 3915 4222.
• Over 15,000 growers supply to businesses within Australia’s
central market system.
• Collectively, the central markets employ several thousand
people, handling over four million tonnes of fresh produce each
year.
• This represents a combined turnover of around $7 billion at
wholesale prices.