VICTORIAN strawberry growers will investigate the possibility of forming a co-operative in an effort to obtain better prices.
Strawberry Growers Association president Sam Violi and vice-president John Calle said they had seen successful co-operatives at an expo in Spain earlier this year.
"It could work, provided growers are prepared to release the reins a bit," Mr Violi said.
"In future, people need to look at those sorts of things."
Mr Violi said there were two main strawberry grower co-operatives in Spain, one with 125 grower members and another with 80.
Mr Violi and Mr Calle had toured the private facilities of the co-operatives, which Mr Violi said were "enormous".
Mr Calle said he didn't know "if the supermarkets would want to see it".
Toolangi Certified Strawberry Runner Growers Cooperative general manager George Weda urged growers of all produce to consider setting up co-operatives.
"It's fantastic. It's the only way to go," Mr Weda said.
"Get together and form a couple of big co-operatives, have some clout. Look at America, they have lots of co-operatives."
Mr Weda said his plant growers' co-operative supplied 80 per cent of Australia's strawberry plants to growers through its 12 grower members.
The organisation has been around since the 1960s.
A co-operative could help in dealing with Australia's "two big supermarkets", which were "ruthless", according to Mr Weda.
"The (strawberry) fruit growers are just not getting value for their effort," Mr Weda said.
"They really should get more."
The idea is likely to be discussed more seriously after the harvest season.
Representatives from the Spanish co-operatives had indicated they were willing to visit Australia and offer insight into how to set up similar organisations.
