Farming Group Says One-Third of Growers Ready to Leave the Sector

Published on March 15, 2024

Over a third of vegetable producers are contemplating leaving the sector, putting Australia at risk of becoming a net importer of fresh food, a federal inquiry was told. AUSVEG, Australia’s leading horticultural body, attributed this trend to a range of reasons, but blamed the “manipulative and unconscionable” tactics of supermarket retailers as one of the key drivers for vegetable producers to walk away. According to a recent survey, 37 percent of vegetable growers expressed an intention to exit the industry next year. “In many instances, the prices being paid by supermarket retailers for Australian-grown vegetables are making it increasingly unviable for some farming businesses to continue operating,” AUSVEG said in a submission to the inquiry on supermarket prices....

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