AUSVEG, the peak body for Australian vegetables growers, today threw down the gauntlet and challenged the meat industry to share the plate.

According to AUSVEG Chairman, Michael Badcock, vegetables are sick of being a side dish. “Today, we are claiming vegetables rightful place as the centre piece of every balanced meal.

“With an increasing number of overweight and obese Australians across all age groups, it has never been more critical that vegetables take centre plate in our diet.

“The Australian vegetable industry produces just about every vegetable imaginable. The flavoursome and nutritional value of vegetables mean that lamb and other meats need to move over.

“In May, representatives from various segments of the industry will meet in Sydney at the Australian Vegetable Industry Conference to discuss initiatives that will see the industry double its value and increase consumption of Australian grown vegetables,” Michael said.

AUSVEG also announced Michael Luscombe, CEO of Woolworths, as one of the key note speakers at the conference.

"Woolworths’s agreement to speak at our conference is demonstration of their commitment to forging strong and mutually beneficial relations with Australian vegetable growers,” Michael said.

AUSVEG were joined by the Federal Agriculture Minister, The Hon Peter McGauran MP, and celebrity chef Georgina Damm of Damm Fine Foods, at the Queen Victoria Market where they prepared a fast, healthy and tasty vegetable meal.

During the event, Minister McGauran emphasised the importance of the industry to the Australian economy.

“The Australian vegetable industry is our fourth largest agricultural industry, with gross annual production worth $2.2 billion.

“The Australian Government supports farmers across all sectors and welcomes the challenge laid down by AUSVEG to consumers to put vegetables at the forefront of their thinking when preparing meals,” Minister McGauran said.