This Week in the Market – 8 March 2022
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| In this week’s Market News: – International Women’s Day – Vaccination Hub final week – Golf Day BBQ fundraiser Market News International Women’s Day 2022  Today is International Women’s Day, a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. We will be marking the occasion by delivering some delicious cupcakes around the market from 4am to 7am. We will also be encouraging market users to get behind International Women’s Day by sharing content on social media in support of the important day and the women of the market and industry. Keep an eye out on our social media channels today as we feature prominent women from the fresh produce industry who have played an important role in the Melbourne Market and the businesses they work for. Click below to follow the MMA and stay up to date. Vaccination Hub final week A reminder that the Melbourne Market Vaccination Hub will be open from 4:15am – 11:15am every day this week. This will be your last chance to get vaccinated in the market, with the hub’s last day Friday, 11 March. Food distribution workers eligible to receive an additional COVID-19 vaccine by 12 January 2022, are required to receive a COVID-19 third dose vaccine by 12 March 2022. Food distribution workers who were not eligible to receive an additional COVID-19 vaccine by 12 January 2022 are required to receive their COVID-19 third dose vaccine by 29 March 2022. The Vaccination Hub is open to all market users who are needing any of their COVID vaccinations. Click here to book a vaccine appointment, or line up for a walk-in spot as soon as possible to avoid missing out. Golf Day BBQ Fundraiser Thank you to all who supported our pre-Golf Day BBQ Fundraiser. We were able to raise $1,665.70 for DEBRA Australia in just a few hours! A big thank you to Produce of Virginia and Tasty Chips for donating bread and onions for the event. Next Friday, 18 March marks our ninth Melbourne Market Golf Day in support of DEBRA Australia. Over the years, the market has raised an incredible $544,000 and look forward to seeing what we can raise this year. There is still time to register a team for the Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day! To find out about sponsorship opportunities or to register a team, click here to download a registration form.   Food Service Australia Expo Last weekend the Melbourne Market participated at the Food Services Expo under the banner of Melbourne’s North Food Group. The event is well known in the industry and had over 450 exhibitors showcasing the latest food, drink, flowers and equipment. Around 10,000 people attended the three-day event, which saw expert panels and the Chef of the Year awarded. Exhibiting at the event was also a great way to showcase the Melbourne Market to those in the industry who were unfamiliar with the market. We received lots of enquiries around accessing the market and produce delivery, potentially leading to new buyers in the market. Teisha and Carolyn from the Market Fresh Schools program also attended the event, allowing visitors to taste some of the amazing produce the market has to offer. The opportunity was used to promote an Industry Open Day at the market to be held later this year. A special thank you to the following businesses in the Melbourne Market who supported the event and supplied produce: Barkers Kapris Bros. LaManna Premier Aus Asia Produce Produce of Virginia Latorre’s Fruit and Vegetable Wholesalers All Aussie Farmers Grown Florist     Certificate III in Greengrocery If you have a new employee or a staff member that has recently changed employment status (part-time to full time) when you enrol them in the Certificate III in Greengrocery they may be eligible to receive a 50% wage subsidy, up to $7,000 per quarter. But be quick, this program will end on 31 March. The next round of students for the course is due to commence in April. For more details or to check eligibility, contact Theresa Hunt on 9258 6191 or email theresa.hunt@melbournemarket.com.au  Australian Mushroom Growers Promotion End The Australian Mushroom Growers Association promotion “The Blend” officially ended in February. Thank you to the 32 stores that participated in the promotion which encouraged consumers to mix mushrooms with minced meat to enhance nutrition, improve flavour and decrease their meat consumption. Four lucky shoppers from across the country have won a Weber Family BBQ valued at $799RRP. A reminder for all participating stores to remove any remaining collateral.     New Member Alert – The Flying Zucchini’s  The Flying Zucchini’s is a fruit and vegetable delivery box service led by two women, Vic and Caity. While isolating during the height of the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020, Vic had issues getting fresh produce delivered and figured others must be having the same issue. This unique experience led to the creation of The Flying Zucchini’s. Welcome to the A better choice! family Vic and Caity! Be sure to say hi to the duo if you see them in the market! Aprons and Jut Bags A reminder that there are A better choice! branded quality Aprons and Jut bags available to purchase. Aprons: $20 ex GST Jut Bags $3 ex GST These bags can be also be cobranded with your own business logo. Contact Zac Egan for more information.   THINK SAFETY WEAR A SEATBELT IN ALL VEHICLES For your own safety, you must ensure your seatbelt is correctly secured when driving forklifts, trucks and passenger vehicles.  Industry News Flow-on impacts of eastern flood crisis having an effect on fresh produce quality  Major Melbourne fruit and vegetable retailer Alexanders Fruit Market has noticed inconsistencies between fruit and vegetable produce quality and price, following the flooding emergency in South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales. The flooding of the Brisbane Produce Market, between Sunday and Wednesday, and road closures in both states, meant that fresh produce was diverted to the other major markets in Sydney and Melbourne, and Director David Zahlan says lines were arriving further along in their shelf life than normal.Click here to find out more. Global Overview Bananas  The global banana market, which was already facing additional stress on margins due to the high costs of transport and raw materials plaguing many industries, now faces additional difficulties in many countries due to Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. As Russia has traditionally been a large importer of bananas from South America, the recent trade sanctions placed on this country mean that these bananas will have to find an alternative market, causing fears other European markets will be hugely oversupplied. Click here to find out 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 Scicluna’s is hiring! Come and join one of Melbourne’s most respected and growing food merchants and work for a company that cares about its people! We are now have vacancies for a variety of roles in our Wholesale and Retail divisions. For more information or to apply, please visit our new look website! www.sciclunas.com.au/careers Ask the MMA If you’ve got a question for the MMA email it to: submissions@melbournemarket.com.au. Follow us  |
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