GETTING US OUT OF A JAM

SUPERMARKETS understand that consumers are price conscious.

Quality is important, but in tough economic times shoppers are buying smarter and counting dollars.

The advertising jingles of "down, down prices are down" and "price knockouts" highlight how the major supermarkets are tapping into the psyche of cash-strapped consumers.

But the fight to offer the cheapest comes at a cost to our already squeezed farmers and food processors and, ultimately, jobs.

The drive to bring down prices leads to reduced product choice and can end in the domination of a small range of cheaper overseas brands compared with sometimes more expensive local products.

Millionaire entrepreneur and former Australian of the Year Dick Smith has renewed his rally call to all Australians to buy local.

At the height of the Dick Smith Food's campaign as much as $80 million worth of his locally made products, from peanut butter to biscuits, was being purchased by Australians.

The brand was launched 12 years ago when 80 per cent of food sold in major supermarkets was from overseas.

But after initial success, brand sales declined, which recently prompted Mr Smith to ponder whether to abandon the product line altogether, or revitalise it.

He has chosen to revitalise the brand, called Dick Smith's Magnificent Australian Grown Foods.

And as part of this he has unveiled a new product line, jam made from Tasmania's best raspberries and blackberries.

What Tasmanian of a certain age does not have fond childhood memories of eating lashings of home-made or locally purchased raspberry or blackberry jam on toast?

At one stage in our history IXL and its local jam factory, now a five-star hotel in Hunter St, supplied Australia with jam.
 
So it was with some surprise Mr Smith discovered the most popular jam now sold in Australia was St Dalfour  a French fruit spread.

Mr Smith was in Tasmania at the weekend to visit the farmer who will supply the fruit for his new jam line.

The local jam will be sold through Woolworths and through Mr Smith's online business.

As yet no contract has been signed with Coles because of a failure to agree on price.

As a state we cannot turn our back on the reality of the global economy.

Tasmania benefits by selling its produce, products and resources on the international market.

But if given the choice many consumers will buy local, even if it costs a bit more, because they want to support local jobs and business.

To make this possible, all major supermarkets should open up their shelf-space, at a fair and reasonable price, to local as well as imported products.

It will then be up to consumers to make an informed decision on whom they support.