Picture: supplied
Fruit and vegetable wholesalers from Epping Market staged a protest outside the Melbourne Market Authority today, angered by a recently-announced rent increase.
The government authority plans to hit wholesalers with a 100 percent rent hike over the next 10 years, according to Fresh State, who represent the wholesalers.
Speaking at the protest, Fresh State CEO Jason Cooper predicts that the rent increase will push many members over the edge.
He says he is also surprised by a widespread lack of understanding about the wholesale industry since the rent increase was made public.
“There have been some misinformed comments recently,” Cooper says.
“People should check their facts. The fact is this rent increase is a recipe for disaster. It will not only push fruit and vegetable prices up but also push wholesalers out of business, and push families, restaurants, and grocers to the brink.
“With fresh produce, we are headed towards a much bigger cost-of-living crisis than many people think,” Cooper says.
Cooper said Victorian wholesalers already paid more for rent than in other states, such as at the Brisbane market.
Fresh State says the wholesale fruit and vegetable market supplies independent groceries and supermarkets, restaurants, Melbourne, Prahran and South Melbourne markets, fast-food chains, childcare and aged care homes, across Victoria and nation-wide.
“Someone’s got to cover the extra costs. You either take it from the grower, pass it on to the buyer, or take it out of your own pocket and risk going out of business,” Cooper says.
“Everybody should be able to eat and afford fresh produce. The last thing struggling families, restaurants, and care providers want is to pay more for fresh fruit and veg than they need to.”
“It’s scary. Our wholesalers are on the verge of a financial and psychological breakdown. Some walked away from the business in tears. In this pressure environment, it’s nearly impossible to attract new wholesalers to the market.”
Last week, Fresh State launched its Take the Pressure OffCampaign to take the pressure off fruit and vegetable prices and temporarily freeze rent.
Cooper says the campaign goal is a viable, long-term commercial deal for wholesalers and says it will pick up speed in coming weeks.
