16 May 2018, 4 a.m.
BIG OPP: 2016 Nuffield Scholar Michael Vorrasi, DSA Fresh, SA, says there is a substantial opportunity for vegetable growers to value add to their products in order to capture more of the Australian market.
Nuffield Scholar Michael Vorrasi's research has shown value adding to vegetables holds big potential for Aussie farmers.
THE fact that only 6 per cent of Australians consume vegetables on a daily basis presents a wealth of opportunity for producers willing to embrace new techniques and technologies, according to a report released by South Australia based 2016 Nuffield Scholar, Michael Vorrasi.
“The health benefits of vegetables have been known for hundreds of years, but consumption remains stagnant in Australia,” Mr Vorrasi said.
“People are increasingly time poor and if we are going to grow consumption rates we need to take an innovative approach to the vegetable offering we provide.
With 67pc of shoppers purchasing value-added produce, the strategy clearly has a broad appeal. However, Mr Vorrasi’s research demonstrates that the potential of value-added products goes further, allowing producers to satisfy niche consumer requirements.
“In the United Kingdom, I talked to a company called Campden BRI, who have developed a cauliflower rice product with a shelf-life of up to one year, in conjunction with Cauli Rice Ltd.
“The potential to create opportunities for re-purposing second grade products and minimise food waste is immensely exciting,” he said.
“In the USA and UK, up to 20pc of vegetables were not meeting strict retailer quality criteria and were ending up as waste.
“Often, the nutritional value and taste of these products was identical to those accepted by stores, but an imperfect appearance led to rejection.
Mr Vorrasi’s research shows that for value-adding processes to be successful, they have to come from an understanding of the customer’s needs and desires.
IN STORE: Graham Forber from G’s Produce and Michael Vorrasi at a Tesco retail visit in 2016.
Value-adding for the sake of it, such as unnecessary packaging or alteration, will not align with consumers' desires and will not succeed.
“Producers have to understand what the consumer wants and focus their energies on that, rather than just planting a product and hoping it will sell,” he said.
“It’s an exciting time in the vegetable industry, as we see a growing desire amongst the population to increase their vegetable consumption.
2019 Nuffield Scholarship applications are now open.
Copy supplied by Nuffield Australia.