Manjimup Farmers Market goes into recess due to low stallholder and attendee numbers

The famous Manjimup Farmers Market will go into recess in April, with the organisers noting low numbers in stallholders selling their wares and a drop in attendance by locals and visitors. The weekly market, which had been running for 21 years, will cease Saturday market days after April 20 until December when they’ll hold their Christmas markets. Market manager Paula Benson said dwindling numbers, and the lack of a new market manager, led to the decision after an emergency meeting last week. She said the future of the market would depend on the few markets they held after Christmas, which will include fortnightly events until Easter. “None of us were happy to make that decision, but we can’t keep doing what we’re doing,” Ms Benson said. “It’s been probably about 12 months when we were trying to get more stalls, and when the borders opened after COVID, things changed, with more festivals and markets going on, and less stallholders and less food stalls coming to our markets,” Ms Benson said. “There’s certain costs we have to cover, such as traders’ permits, public liability insurance and other costs involved with being a part of an incorporated body. “For the Easter markets, it’s usually one of our biggest markets of the year, and we usually get between 25 to 30 stalls. “This year and last year included, we’re going to only have a dozen because on the same day there’s the Donnybrook Apple Festival, Nannup has a huge Easter market, and Northcliffe is having their 100th anniversary with a market, and Walpole will have theirs.” Ms Benson noted the lack of support by locals and the general public and suggested something new from the markets could help. “Unfortunately, over the years, we haven’t had the best support from the Manjimup public,” she said. “We don’t have a lot of locals come down, they pass through and don’t actually look around or ask why there aren’t any stalls. “They’ll even come later in the day and see that there’s nothing there, when we’ve already sold everything.”