Freshmark is proud to submit applications and proposals on behalf of our members and market floor customers, ensuring industry standards are upheld across all chambers. Our submission process is designed to advocate for fairness, transparency, and consistency within the fresh produce industry.
The draft Food Regulation 2025 as it currently stands will have a severe negative impact on businesses operating across almost the full breadth of the berry, melon and leafy vegetables supply chains. It could see businesses required to pay multiple licence fees depending on how many sites they operate from, how many vehicles they use and how many of the three lines they deal in.
In most other states, the licensing fees are calculated in an entirely different way and the requirements extend only to early-stage processors (from grower to packhouse) while the NSW equivalent would capture wholesalers, providores and transporters as well.
This means the NSW sector would be at a huge competitive disadvantage. Our modelling shows that the licensing fees in the Draft Food Regulation 2025 could cost some NSW businesses, in particular transport companies, close to $100,000 every year.
The Draft Food Regulation 2025 as it currently stands will have a severe negative impact on businesses operating across almost the full breadth of the berry, melon and leafy vegetables supply chains. The draft Food Regulation 2025 sets up a licensing scheme which differs significantly from those proposed by other states and appears to be misaligned with the intentions of the FSANZ.
Primary Production and Processing Standards relating to berry, melon, and leafy vegetable production and processing (FSANZ PPP Standards), which extends only to early-stage processors
and does not include wholesalers.
Freshmark welcomes the Government’s commitment to strengthening the Food and Grocery Code to support a fair and sustainable fresh produce sector. We also urge ongoing flexibility for further updates following the ACCC’s supermarket inquiry.
The three major supermarket chains currently account for 75% of fresh produce sales in Australia.
Small retailers and independent grocers offer some competition to the large chains, and the central markets system is critical in maintaining this framework, but the supermarkets carry a disproportionate share of market power which impacts the competitive capacity of the rest of the sector.
It is critical that those retailers outside the major supermarket chain’s structure, are viable and sustainable to ensure consumer choice and competition.
Freshmark welcomes the opportunity to provide submissions to the independent review of the Food and Grocery Code.
Food, and especially fresh produce, is possibly the most important purchase for Australian consumers.
Our members play a critical role in the fresh produce supply chain. Compliance and red tape are among the biggest challenges our members and our industry face, and one of the sector’s biggest bugbears is that the codes under which supermarkets and other fresh produce industry participants operate are not equivalent in terms of the responsibilities they confer, the protections they offer or the deterrents they provide for breaches.
Freshmark relied on the expert insights of our board and staff, relevant studies and research, and feedback from market participants.
This included a broad survey of members completed online and in-person on the market floor as well as one-on-one detailed interviews.
Freshmark worked on this submission to highlight the significant impact of road tolls on the fresh produce sector, which operates on thin margins and plays a vital role in ensuring Australians have access to fresh, affordable food.
Given the essential nature of fresh produce distribution, Freshmark advocates for fair tolling policies, including exemptions or concessions for produce transport, a reevaluation of toll pricing structures, and greater recognition of the sector’s unique challenges.
The goal is to ensure a sustainable and competitive supply chain that does not pass unnecessary costs onto consumers.
Freshmark’s submission to the inquiry into food security in Australia highlights key challenges facing the fresh produce sector, including unfair regulatory disparities, rising input costs, labour shortages, and the need for greater investment in regional communities.
The submission advocates for fairer industry regulations, sustainable labour policies, and increased support to ensure fresh produce remains accessible and affordable for Australian consumers.
Freshmark wrote this letter to the Treasurer to ask for support in moving away from highlighting rising fresh produce prices in cost-of-living discussions.
While weather events have impacted supply, broader inflation hasn’t had a disproportionate effect on produce.
Freshmark wants to emphasize that fresh, seasonal produce remains affordable and should stay a key part of consumers’ shopping lists.
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Freshmark supports fair, equitable, and inclusive access to staff for businesses across the NSW fresh produce supply chain, and a safe, adequately remunerated work environment for workers.
Freshmark supports fair, equitable, and inclusive access to staff for businesses across the NSW fresh produce supply chain, and a safe, adequately remunerated work environment for workers.
Freshmark supports fair, equitable, and inclusive access to staff for businesses across the NSW fresh produce supply chain, and a safe, adequately remunerated work environment for workers.
Freshmark supports fair, equitable, and inclusive access to staff for businesses across the NSW fresh produce supply chain, and a safe, adequately remunerated work environment for workers.
Freshmark supports fair, equitable, and inclusive access to staff for businesses across the NSW fresh produce supply chain, and a safe, adequately remunerated work environment for workers.
Freshmark has increased the amplification efforts of our advocacy by belonging to the Australian Chamber of Fruit and Vegetable Industries Limited, trading as Fresh Markets Australia (FMA).
FMA is the national organisation representing each of the five Market Chambers, which themselves are organisations that represent the fruit and vegetable wholesalers located in each of Australia’s six central Markets (Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Newcastle).
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