3.2.2. Market Price

In SC2, 390.76 t of residual product was not harvested due an abrupt end to the season. These losses represent 94% of the entire season's harvest volume for the field. Grower 1, grower 2 and extension officer 2 identified the wholesale market price as a key driver of this loss. A grower is unable to recover operational costs of harvest when the farm-gate value of a carton (10.80 kg) falls below AUD7.50–8.00—a dollar value equal to the operational cost to harvest, pack and transport product to market. At this point, the farmer suffers production losses of AUD7.50 per carton based on combined production and operation costs of AUD15–15.50 per carton (Table 5). Grower 1 commented that *"The supply [was] far superior to* ... *demand. We're getting towards the end of the line with our crop, so our quality is going to start dropping back. It's still quite good* ... *in the box, but [we've] got to work harder at it. If [we] haven't got the right sizes [that is, product specified for orders] to get the better return, because the market is low, [we're] going to lose a lot of money so therefore [we] have to make the decision whether to cut [our] losses or continue."*

**Table 5.** Actual, calculated full day's postharvest losses (kg) and estimated economic loss and potential market value along the supply chain.


<sup>a</sup> Actual loss is the amount of the loss sampled specific to a specific point along the supply chain. <sup>b</sup> Estimated production cost based on \$7.50 per 10 kg carton (i.e., immediate loss to grower). Values are shown in AUD. <sup>c</sup> Estimated farm-gate value based on \$10 per 10 kg carton.
