Australia
September 6, 2010

Carrots are the most popular household vegetable on a weekly basis a new vegetable industry survey has found, with around 65 per cent of households purchasing them each week in the first quarter of this year.

The survey results, included in the recently released Veginsights quarterly market report for growers, show that carrots are now consumers’ favourite vegetable product. Potatoes are the second most commonly purchased each week, up by around 6 per cent, while tomatoes, which have slipped back two places from the previous quarter, are third most popular.

“Carrots have always been a staple in the diet of everyday Australians and this report confirms that they are as popular as they have ever been at the retail level,” AUSVEG spokesperson Andrew White said.

“It was also pleasing to see an increase from the previous quarter in the purchase of a number of other vegetable products in the top 10 list, including capsicum, mushroom, broccoli and pumpkin. The increase in the purchase of key vegetables may in part be the result of a higher average weekly household spend on food prepared at home,” Mr White said.

AUSVEG is the national peak industry body representing the interests of vegetable growers.

The Veginsights: The Market Q1 2010 report found that the most frequently purchased vegetables in the first quarter of 2010 reflected a demand shift from salads to cooked products, with 90 per cent of respondents indicating that they cooked the vegetables they purchased, an increase of 3 per cent from the previous quarter.

The average weekly household spend on food prepared at home increased by 1.7% to $163 in the first quarter, with supermarkets taking a 1.6% market share back from specialists such as the local greengrocer.

Vegetable industry experts say that the new Junior MasterChef program could be a great opportunity to make vegetables more interesting to kids, particularly given serious community concerns about the rising incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes in Australia.

“We certainly credit shows like MasterChef with having an influence on the variety of food preparation options accessible to everyday consumers. The popularity of the program amongst families and its potential to influence vegetable consumption patterns, particular for young kids, should not be discounted,” Mr White said.

“Price conscious consumers are looking for affordable and easy ways to prepare healthy food and the wide variety of vegetable products on the market today allows them a choice that perhaps wasn’t previously available to them to the same degree.”

The Veginsights market report is available to growers and industry on the AUSVEG website and was produced as part of the the Vegetable Industry Development Program, funded by the National Vegetable Levy and matched funds provided by the Australian Government.

Website: http://www.ausveg.com.au

Published: September 6, 2010