Pako market packs it in

Stallholders were running at a loss

A NEW farmers’ market that received $30,000 from the state government has closed just eight months after opening.

Pako Farmers Market manager Melia Bartholomeusz said low foot traffic resulted in many stallholders losing money at the market and had forced its closure.

Last year the Pako Farmers Market was lauded by the Government as central Geelong’s first accredited farmers’ market.

A Government spokesman confirmed it provided a grant to Melbourne Farmers’ Market to do the feasibility study on the establishment of a farmers’ market in Geelong.

The funds were used to review supply and demand and proposed market sites for a Geelong Farmers’ Market and develop start-up activities for the market including producer engagement and tiation.

Ms Bartholomeusz said organisers were disappointed in the lack of community interest in the market, which led many stallholders pulling out.

“For small business it wasn’t feasible because we couldn’t guarantee that crowd,” Ms Bartholomeusz said.

“We had bad luck — having Pako Festa, but not having that connection with the community was an issue. That was the main reason stallholders left, they said they would love to support it, but they had to site nego- think about their business first and it wasn’t financially viable.”

The spokesman said all feasibility work was done by a consultant. Melbourne Farmers’ Market delegated responsibility for delivering the market to the Barwon Fair Food Network and the first one was held last September.

Minister for Agriculture and Regional Development Jaala Pulford said the Government would work with market organisers as they took a break over winter to see what steps could be taken to reinvigorate the market.

“Like many who had participated in or attended the Pako Farmers’ Market, I was disappointed to read that the market is now on hold due lower attendance than forecast,” Ms Pulford said.

Ms Bartholomeusz said organisers needed to assess whether the market could be relaunched in a different format.