PRODUCERS who sell meat at farmers' markets have won a red tape battle with authorities to make it easier to sell produce.
In coming weeks, Victorian Department of Health and the Department of Primary Industries will announce changes to these rules.
"The intention is to introduce sensible changes, which are a simplification for producers in these circumstances," a DOH spokesman said.
But the Victoria Farmers Markets Association has called for more reform to allow farm gate sales and mobile abattoirs to make small-scale production more viable.
The demands were outlined in VFMA's submission to a Victorian Government parliamentary inquiry into food safety regulations, which includes a review of regulator PrimeSafe.
One of VFMA's key recommendations was the scrapping of the rule where stall holders couldn't sell meat from their PrimeSafe registered vehicles or storage trailers.
They had to transfer the meat to a display area consisting of a fridge or ice box once they arrived at the market.
Stall holders also weren't allowed to store their meat in the registered vehicle when it was stationary.
It comes on top of another recent DOH rule modification where meat producers only have to register with one shire to sell produce at markets, rather than multiple registrations at each shire they visit.
The most recent change was welcomed by Stewarton Wagyu producer Dennis O'Brien, who sells his meat at five Melbourne farmers markets. "I think it's sensible and logical; it was a silly rule that didn't help producers' attitudes toward PrimeSafe," he said.
But Mr O'Brien wants more red tape slashed so he can sell his LL Wagyu branded meat from farm gate. He said customers who bought online could also have the meat delivered by a courier, but they couldn't come to his farm to buy it.
