Corny story is sweet news for growers
The latest data from the tracking study shows consumers are increasingly turning to corn as a healthy addition to their meals, with consumption up 15% since March last year.
"The numbers in the latest wave of Project Harvest clearly display an upwards trend in corn's popularity among Australian shoppers," said AUSVEG spokesman Kurt Hermann. "What we're finding is that Australians are buying corn for its great taste and to add variety to their vegetable selection. The responses suggest that the ease of cooking corn is a major factor in its prevalence in Aussie meals."
The Project Harvest study analyses consumer attitudes and habits regarding vegetable purchases. By tracking vegetables in increments to produce data on trends over time, the study provides support to Australian vegetable growers as they negotiate the domestic market.
Project Harvest research also found consumers believe corn is good for the whole family, which may contribute to the fact it features heavily in weekday and weekend dinners.
"It's great to see that more and more families are including it as part of a nutritious, vegetable-rich diet," said Mr Hermann. "As we can see in the study, there has been an increase in consumer purchases of pre-packaged trays of sweet corn. This could be because it presents itself as a quick, convenient way for increasingly time-poor Australians to add vegetables to a meal."
For more information:
Kurt Hermann
Ausveg
Phone: +61 (03) 9882 0277
Email: kurt.hermann@ausveg.com.au