Griffith fruiterer Sahij Singh, 9, at his family’s Kidman Way, Hanwood fruit stall. The proliferation of stalls in the district in recent months has renewed calls for a farmers’ market in Griffith.
CASH-STRAPPED local farmers are hawking their fruit and veg from roadside stalls in increasing numbers in a bid to make a buck.
In recent months, the stalls - everything from small tables to fully decked-out caravans - have been popping up on the outskirts of the city as miserly prices from supermarkets continue to put the bite on growers' bottom line.
The trend has renewed calls for a farmers' market in Griffith to help growers combat the crushing power of Coles and Woolies.
Coleambally farmer John Ward headed up a campaign in 2006 to get such a market set up in the city.
"Coles and Woolies have stuffed the whole show; they pay the cheapest possible prices and use imports as a bargaining chip," Mr Ward said.
"My aim was to turn Griffith into a central distribution centre, operating out of Nugan's on Banna Avenue, where growers could sell produce cheaper than supermarkets but still make more profit themselves.
"But a couple of fruit and veg stores in town got their noses out of joint and it never happened."
He said he "wholeheartedly supports" roadside stalls because their provided a stark illustration of how much supermarkets hiked up farmgate prices.
"You see these stalls selling watermelons for 50c a kilo where supermarkets would sell them for $2 a kilo," Mr Ward said. "They (the supermarkets) should be marking up produce 50 per cent, but instead they're marking it up 1000 per cent."
Onkar Singh and his son Sahij, 9, run a stall outside their Kidman Way property one of a number to appear on the stretch of road between Bunnings and Hanwood.
With all the swagger of a salesman, Sahij sells watermelons, pumpkins, zucchinis and potatoes from a modified caravan, working before and after school.
Council's director of sustainable development Neil Southorn said council actively encouraged roadside stalls.
"It's fine to have a roadside stall, there are dozens around," he said.
"One of the objectives of council's policy is to allow produce to be marketed from properties.
"There's no DA needed - the only stipulation is that it be grown at that property, the stall be situated within the property and a few food safety requirements."