This Week in the Market – 21 March 2023

– Harmony Week
– Advisory Committee Meetings
– Children in the Market

Market News

Celebrating Harmony Week

Harmony Week is a time to celebrate Australian multiculturalism; it’s about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background. The Melbourne Market is made up of diverse cultural backgrounds, which is part of what makes our community so great!

Watch the video below to see the stories of some market users and their family journey to Australia and how they established their businesses at the Melbourne Market.

Harmony Week Cook Book

A big part of culture is food and eating together, and to celebrate Harmony Week, we would love to see your fruit or veg family recipes from your country of ancestry. A Melbourne Market online flipbook will showcase all the recipes, with three being selected to feature in the A better choice! national magazine.

Please submit your recipes here no later than Friday, 24 March.

Market Advisory Committee Meetings

The Market advisory committees will hold a joint meeting today, 21 March. You can ask your advisory committee members to raise questions or ideas with the MMA.

Advisory committees work with the Melbourne Market Authority to advise on matters relating to Market operations and the fresh produce industry. Committee members are a great source of information and advice for Market users. To find out who the members of the advisory committees are, please visit the MMA website.

Children in the Market event

Children in the Market is back over the Easter school holidays, on Tuesday, 18 and Wednesday, 19 April.

As part of the event, we will be raising funds for the Pat Cronin Foundation as Grant from Flavorite takes off on a bike ride from Alice Springs to Darwin (watch the video below to hear Grant’s story).

Grant will be riding 1500km, and market users can understand just how arduous this journey will be by jumping on a smoothie bike located at Customer Service and blending their favourite concoction. Keep an eye out over the coming weeks for more info about Grant’s fundraiser, what the Pat Cronin foundation is about and how you can get involved.

Children must be pre-registered before the event and accompanied by their parent or guardian. Please complete the registration form here, print it, and return it to Customer Service.

*Please note: All submitted forms will be automatically approved unless you are notified otherwise.

Melbourne Market Footy Tipping Competition

We currently have 101 tippers, and there is still time to join the Melbourne Market tipping competition. You’ll get the away teams for round one, so you still have the chance to win part of the $1500 prize pool!

When you sign up, please put your name and business as your display name.

For ease of use and to complete your tips on the go, download the ESPN Footy Tips app on Apple or Android.

Run for the Kids 2023

On Sunday, the Victorian A better choice! team proudly supported the Run for the Kids event, keeping runners fit and healthy with a huge supply of 20,000 pieces of fresh fruit.

The event provided a platform for A better choice! to promote the importance of consuming fresh fruit and vegetables from local fruit and veg shops to an enormous Victorian audience.

Special thank you goes to Tenfarms and Market City Fruits who ensured delivery of the freshest and best quality produce for all participants to enjoy!

Shop and win is back!

The annual Shop and Win! consumer campaign is back this Autumn, with $19,000 worth of prizes up for grabs in participating fruit and veg shops, including Apple Airpods, Fitbit Versa 4, Nintendo Switch Console Lite, Breville Coffee Machines and more.

Along with this campaign, the illustrious “Retailer of the Year, Peoples Choice Award” will be awarded to the store with the most customer nominations.

Zac is currently rolling out the campaign to all A better choice! members. Contact Zac to learn more about the campaign or be one of the first stores activated

Win a $500 Gold Class Voucher

The A better choice! program has been working hard to deliver campaigns that help encourage consumers to shop at their local fruit and veg shop.

We would love to hear your feedback on our most recent campaign. By filling out this short survey and sharing your thoughts, you’ll go in the draw to win a $500 gold class voucher for your store.

Your feedback helps us shape and continually improve the program moving forward.

Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show – only one week to go

The National Flower Centre is excited to be part of this year’s Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show (MIFGS) and will showcase our local growers’ stunning range of flowers. We will support the industry by hosting two retail flower stands in the Royal Exhibition Building and at the Victoria Street entry/exit and allow visitors to buy a bunch of fresh blooms to enjoy at home.

The MIFGS will be held at the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens from Wednesday, 29 March, to Sunday, 2 April.

Thank you to all our flower market stand holders for supporting the industry and this event.

Storage of goods in EFS bays

To keep our Market clean and operating as it was designed, there are some important rules regarding what you can and cannot store in EFS 1, 2 and 3 Bays:

• Forklifts
• Electric vehicles
• Sales Counters (must be stored on Forklift tines)
• Maximum of two (2) pallets (must be stored on Forklift tines)

• Produce
• Rubbish
• More than 2 pallets
• Boxes
• Growers Bins
• Other market related machinery/items

Industry News

Stronger prices on offer for Australian apple and pear growers

The effects of adverse weather will be evident in the 2023 Australian apple and pear crop, according to the latest forecast from industry body Apple and Pear Australia (APAL).

There will be an ample supply of high-quality apples and pears in the Australian market this year, the reduced volumes will see us back on par with the volumes of 2020.

Click here to read more.

Australian avocados gain entry into Indian market

Australian avocados gained entry into the Indian market last weekend, though final approval is subject to the success of ten trial shipments. Exporters and industry bodies have commended the Australian and Indian governments on reaching this agreement.

The Australian Government’s Hass avocado market access agreement with India is underpinned by a $3M investment into research to support the export of the fruit.

Click here to read more.

Melbourne Market Job Board and Community Notices

Ask the MMA

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