Farmers' markets hit the target

Although the movement is little more than ten years old, farmers' markets are now well established and are held in towns all around Scotland where they have built up a loyal following and are now reckoned to account for 2 per cent of the total expenditure on food.

Now new research, undertaken over the summer by the Scottish Agricultural College on behalf of the Scottish Farmers' Markets Partnership has concluded that the top three reasons for consumers to visit a farmers' market are - the high quality of the produce, the provenance and traceability of the food, and the fact that shopping at their local farmers' market supports the local economy.

Three hundred consumers were surveyed, and the majority of those were regular visitors to farmers' markets. Research was also carried out into pricing levels at farmers' markets, and while the full report will be launched later this year, early indications are that like for like, farmers' markets offer comparable value for money.