This Week In The Market – 06 July 2021

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In this week’s Market News:

– The Happy Apple very happy with greengrocery course
– New parking relocations
– Vale Joe Scuteri

Market News
The Happy Apple very happy with greengrocery course



Since commencing in January, the first group of students enrolled in the Certificate III in Greengrocery are now past the halfway mark of the course.  

James Milne, a full-time produce manager at the Happy Apple, was part of the first intake of students in the course, and being relatively new to greengrocery, James jumped at the chance to improve his skills and learn more about the industry. 
The importance of attention to detail has been one of the key take-aways from the course so far for James. “Since starting the course I have noticed that I’ve been paying more attention to how I place the produce on the shelf, making sure that it always looks presentable and desirable to the customers” said James. 

Graham Gee, Produce and Operations Manager at The Happy Apple is already seeing the benefits of putting James through the course, with his confidence and knowledge increasing. “James has greatly developed his skills in store setup and trading, plus now has increased confidence in offering advice to customers and assisting with interesting produce requests,” said Graham.  

As well as having immediate benefits, James’ enrolment in the course has had minimal disruption to the business. “I would encourage other retailers to seriously consider sending a staff member to complete the course. Flexible training delivery with both face-to-face and online components allow for minimal rostering disruption; and the payback to the business will be a positive one,” said Graham.  

Generous course funding opportunities are still available for businesses wanting to enrol their employees in the course. Email Theresa for more information and to find out how to register. 

It’s never too late to get qualified, find out more at www.melbournepolytechnic.edu.au/study/certificate-
iii/greengrocery/



Coronavirus (COVID-19) update
Fitted face masks must continue to be worn indoors at the Melbourne Market, and outdoors in any situation where social distancing cannot be maintained. 

To help ensure the safety and business continuity of the Melbourne Market, the MMA imposes penalties for those not wearing face masks or for those not following social distancing rules.

We ask you to be vigilant and continue to follow COVIDSafe practices. Wear your face mask at all times when indoors. Follow social distancing practices; keep 1.5 metres from others wherever possible, only one person per buggy. Do not attend the Melbourne Market if you are feeling unwell. If you are experiencing COVID symptoms, get tested and isolate until you receive a negative result.



Parking Bay Relocations



The construction of the undercover parking solar canopies is progressing well with the steel structure for the first set of canopies in both the north and south courtyards complete.

This means, from Wednesday, 7th July, 12:01 AM, those businesses who have been relocated for the past six weeks will go back to their original parking bays under the new steel structures. 

There is still plenty of work to be done as construction now moves onto canopies three and four, and with this, the next group of parking bays will be relocated. 

As of this coming Wednesday, parking bays as listed below will be temporarily relocated. MRO’s will be available to assist with any relocation queries.

The MMA will keep up-to-date information on the market website regarding the construction project, including any parking relocations or scheduled outages, to help minimise disruption to businesses.


Temporary removal of bird netting



In addition to kicking off construction of the next two canopies, work is also being undertaken to strengthen areas where the new canopies will connect to the existing roof structures of the Buyers’ Walk.
To undertake this work, some of the existing bird netting will need to be temporarily removed. 
Several “Terror Eye Balloons” will be installed in the area to deter any birds from entering the space. 

Vale, Joe Scuteri



The MMA and Market community offer sincere condolences to the family and friends of Joe Scuteri, who recently passed away after a year-long battle with brain cancer. 
Joe was a third-generation fruiterer who had run stands at Queen Victoria Market, Caribbean Market, and Coburg Sunday Market. 
Joe was a dedicated family man who wanted nothing more than to provide for his wife and children, which is why as well as being a retailer, he worked for JTS Cherry King here at the Melbourne Market for the past 5 years before his diagnosis. 
Most people would remember Joe as a happy, enthusiastic man who loved to laugh and joke around with his customers and co-workers. Joe was a friendly face at the market and known by many as “Joe Peak” or “Pekin duck”.

Rest in Peace, Joe. 

Preventing fraud and corruption in your business


Fraud and corruption can have huge financial, reputational and operational impacts on your business. 
Melbourne’s North Food Group and PKF Melbourne are hosting a free webinar titled, Preventing fraud and corruption in your business.  Drawing on their extensive experience in investigating fraud and corruption, PKF Integrity investigators will examine real-world cases that will outline indicators of fraud and corruption and provide clever strategies to detect and prevent these events from occurring in your organisation.
Date and time: Wed, 14 July 2021, 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM 
Click here to register for this free webinar.

Social content to showcase
Did you know recipes, imagery or content produced by A better choice! is free for use to promote your store*. Just be sure to tag @abetterchoiceaus and use the hashtag #abetterchoice so we can engage with your posts and help build your audience.

Looking for some inspiration? Check out the posts below and feel free to use them. 


We love healthier takes on classic favourites. Here is our Cauliflower Mac & Cheese, featuring the delicious, in-season cauliflower.
It’s creamy, cheesy, and a little bit crunchy! This one is sure to be a favourite all winter long.
Click on the link for the recipe and pick up the cauliflower from your local fruit and veg shop.


Banana Split… need we say more? The ultimate comfort dessert. Sweet, caramelised bananas topped with crushed nuts and ice cream – YUM!
For the recipe, click here.*With the exception of influencer content as it is not produced by A better choice! If you’re interested in content produced by an influencer don’t hesitate to reach out to us. A Better Choice feedback
Do you have feedback or questions about the A Better Choice program?
We’d love to hear from you, send an email to abetterchoice@melbournemarket.com.au.

Industry News
Export fees & charges increase – effective 1 July 2021
 
On 29 June, the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) released an Industry Advisory Notice to notify the industry that a final 2021–22 horticulture exports cost recovery implementation statement (CRIS) has been published on the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s website. The Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management has approved the 2021–22 CRIS for the horticulture export arrangement. The new 2021–22 fees and charges will commence on 1 July 2021.
Click here to read more.

Your chance to ask a farmer anything
A newly-launched campaign by the Victorian Farmers Federation and the Victorian state government aims to build a stronger connection between the country and the city by starting an open conversation about how food and fibre is produced.
Click here to read more.

Melbourne Market Job Board


Do you have a vacancy to fill in your business?
Email submissions@melbournemarket.com.au for the position to be placed on our online job board.
Looking for a new role? Check out the online job board via the button below. View full online job board

Ask the MMA
If you’ve got a question for the MMA email it to: submissions@melbournemarket.com.au.
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