Lettuce spruik Aussie veges in Europe

Helping growers meet evolving global consumer expectations is the focus of a new grant to improve market access for Australian vegetables.

Australia’s peak body for vegetable growers, AUSVEG, has been awarded an Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC) grant to advance its national export development activities. 

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt said the $121,000 in funding would help AUSVEG tell new consumers about our world-leading food safety, sustainability and worker welfare standards.

“The Albanese Government recognises that consumers and markets are increasingly wanting proof of the provenance of food and that it has been produced in a safe, sustainable, clean and green way,” Minister Watt said.

“This grant will help Australian vegetable growers tell that story and ensure their world-class produce remains trade competitive.

“The United Kingdom and European Union are increasingly becoming key export markets for our fresh produce, with the UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) coming into force recently and negotiations continuing on an FTA with the EU.

“Understanding the drivers in the UK and Europe for food safety and sustainability are key to enabling Australian exporters to adopt best practices, and to ensure that compliance barriers are not preventing Australian produce being retailed in supermarkets abroad.

“Supporting our vegetable producers to comply with evolving international standards—like the assurance scheme GlobalGAP—will help build their export capabilities and improve access to markets in places like the UK and EU.”

AUSVEG is the industry representative body for the vegetable and potato sectors.

The ATMAC funding will support AUSVEG to research and deliver this critical information to its network of around 100 exporting vegetable producers around Australia.

AUSVEG Chief Executive Officer Michael Coote said the ATMAC grant delivers significant value to fruit and vegetable growers and the broader horticulture industry. 

“The grant will allow AUSVEG to facilitate a study tour to the UK and EU,” he said.

“This will offer horticulture growers a unique opportunity to learn firsthand about the social, economic and governance compliance requirements on UK and EU growers and what expectations will be on Australian exporters to meet the same requirements.”

As part of its service delivery for growers, AUSVEG leads a range of national Export Development activities for vegetable producers, in the areas of export capability development, market development and market access.

Information about the ATMAC program is available here: Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC) Program.

Information about AUSVEG can be found here: AUSVEG | Industry Representative Body For Vegetable and Potato Growers.