Paddock-to-plate revival as farmers grapple with surging food freight costs

More consumers are looking local when it comes to buying fresh produce. (ABC Rural: Sophie Johnson) Global attention on the vulnerability of food supply chains has inspired a paddock-to-plate revival for farmers and shoppers. Selling and buying closer to where food is produced reduces the transport costs and food miles. Not all growers can sell direct to local markets as their production scale still requires them to send fruit and vegetables to central markets. Link copiedShareShare articleGlobal attention on the vulnerability of food supply chains has inspired a paddock-to-plate revival, but not all farmers and shoppers can benefit. As the Iran War escalated, retailer Angela Nason said growers and consumers flooded her Far North Queensland produce store with inquiries. As the cost of each kilometre food travels explodes, supermarkets are also facing pressure to absorb the price rises associated with the disruption. But the model only works if the paddocks are close to the plates, taking shortening the supply chain off the table for many. Ms Nason's store is on the Atherton Tablelands at Mareeba, west of Cairns. Angela Nason sources produce for her store from local Atherton Tablelands growers. (ABC Rural: Sophie Johnson) The region is a horticultural powerhouse, producing citrus, avocados, bananas, mangoes and other crops valued at almost $748 million. But before any of that produce is available in a local supermarket, it first has to travel thousands of kilometres to wholesale markets in Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne, only to be trucked back to retailers in the north. Ms Nason said farmers struggling with rising freight costs were looking for ways to sell closer to home. Ms Nason has opened a second store in Cairns. (ABC Rural: Sophie Johnson) At Jonsson's Farmers Market in Cairns, operations manager Joe Cincota has also noticed more foot traffic. "We've undergone a bit of a transformation in the store and re-looked at our pricing, trying to do a better job with pricing and give customers a better deal," he said. But he said there were limits to how much could be supplied locally, relying on central markets to fill in the gaps. "The freshness comes from literally buying direct from the grower where we can." Jonsson Farmers Markets sources as much produce as possible from local growing regions. (ABC Rural: Sophie Johnson) About 1,300 kilometres away at Rosedale, north of Bundaberg, Luke Tresize and De'Arne Chapman hope to expand their regenerative farming business, Golden Hill Farm. They farm cattle, sheep, poultry and pigs. Ms Chapman said she had noticed increased demand for paddock-to-plate options as more consumers explored what was in their food. "I think because of social media, people want to know where their food is coming from," she said. Luke Tresize and De'Arne Chapman are regenerative farmers based in Rosedale. (ABC Rural: Tayla Larsen) The couple's meat is processed at Biggenden before it is packaged and then sold at local markets. They have purchased an on-farm butcher room in a bid to streamline their business and cut costs. They said it should be operational by September. "The plan is to be able to utilise other farms in the region who are farming similar to us, which will give the local community access to more local beef, pork and lamb," Mr Tresize said. "We're living in an amazing food-growing region here, so why are we chasing food from Tasmania or Victoria when it can all be grown here?" Mr Tresize and Ms Chapman have purchased an on-farm butcher room. (ABC Rural: Tayla Larsen) Ebony Faichney is a horticultural farming consultant with Farmour, based in Mareeba. She said farmers could gain benefits by diversifying their markets, but it was harder for bigger growers to sell their produce locally. "But when you start to scale up, [like] some of our larger players here on the Tablelands and Mareeba Dimbulah area, unfortunately, the sheer volume of fruit that they're producing just can't be absorbed by our local market." Queensland Fruit and Vegetable Growers chief executive Scott Kompo-Harms said the paddock-to-plate model was not always an option for those shopping at farmers' markets in more urban areas, like Brisbane, where produce tended to come from central markets, meaning there was still a transport element. However, he said local markets provided a great opportunity to educate consumers, especially in a time of global uncertainty. "[Local markets] can just create that little bit stronger connection." Copy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesISIS-linked families to arrive in Australia today after years in SyriaTopic:Defence and National Security

Paddock-to-plate revival as farmers grapple with surging food freight costs

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Paddock-to-plate revival as farmers grapple with surging food freight costs

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