Government grants promise to make shopping local easier as more WA farmers go to market
Grants of up to $50,000 each will be available for operators, under a $2 million support program that Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis called an Australian first.
'We really want to encourage new farmers markets and those existing ones to reach financial sustainability,' she told reporters at the Stirling farmers market on Sunday.
'It's a great way for farmers and food producers to sell directly to residents in Perth from a sustainability point of view, from low food miles.
'Farmers markets are a fantastic addition to any community.'
The grants are a one-off that will go towards infrastructure, planning and marketing, while there is also a new one-day training program for operators to improve their business skills.
Market manager Katrina Lombardo said demand for local markets has only grown in the wake of COVID and rising cost of living pressures, with about 20 farmers markets now operating across WA and plans for a new market in Collie soon.
'They're actually the most affordable place to do your grocery shopping because we're cutting out the middle man,' she said.
'The farmers and the producers get to just sell directly so you're almost getting wholesale prices.'
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