Supply chain: Farmers’ markets burst with produce while supermarkets struggle

Small-scale farmers are avoiding the supply-chain nightmare at markets, but some meat producers still take a hit at processing.

Farmers’ markets and small-scale producers are emerging as winners in the current supply-chain crisis.

Community Farmers Markets manager Don Linke said last weekend’s markets at Elwood, Flemington and South Geelong had good customer turnouts, with most stallholders avoided logistics challenges.

“All the vegetable and fruit supplies have been plentiful because it is a very short supply chain,” Mr Linke said. “Farmers grow them, pick them and drive them down to the market.

“Shopper numbers are higher so far this year because we have supply. People are coming back realising farmers’ markets are a better more reliable option.”

NSW farmers’ market manager Debrah Novak said produce was readily available at her markets in the Northern Rivers region.

Melbourne Farmers Market director Miranda Sharp said trading was brisk and stalls were heaving with produce at Melbourne CBD markets despite smaller numbers of stallholders and customers, which was normal for this time of year.

Not all traders have escaped unscathed, however, with some small-scale meat producers hit by processing disruption.

Bass Coast Farm’s Sylvia Collett was forced to cancel her stall at Flemington last weekend because the Wonthaggi butchery that cuts her lamb and beef was struck by a Covid outbreak.

Radfords abattoir had been able to process her weekly batch of four lambs and two cattle, but the lambs were still hanging at the butcher, which closed for a week.

She diverted beef to a Foster butchery, but they weren’t able to process in time for the markets.

“At end of day, next week, if I haven’t got income again it starts affecting me,” she said.

“If worse comes to worse I have to send animals to the saleyards.”

Malmsbury farmers’ market manager Rayna Fahey said two meat producers were not unable to attend last week due to a local meatworks shutdown, but another pork producer and smallgoods stallholder filled the void.

“That is one of the awesome things about farmers markets, they are so much more adaptable and resilient,” she said.

Originally published as Supply chain: Farmers’ markets burst with produce while supermarkets struggle