Stop Payment Delays: Simplify Grower and Supplier Management with ERP

In Australia’s $11 billion fresh produce industry, relationships between growers and primary produce wholesalers sustain the entire supply chain. According to Fresh Markets Australia (FMA), central markets handle nearly 90% of fruit and vegetable sales each year. While many wholesalers have adopted an ERP to manage payments, many still rely on spreadsheets or handwritten ledgers. This can slow down reporting, increase errors, and limit scalability as a business expands.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software integrates finance, sales, inventory, logistics, and supplier management into a central system. By handling approvals, generating live dashboards, and linking payment processes from receipt to payment, ERP systems streamline payments, minimise errors, and enhance transparency. The outcome is more substantial cash flow, fewer administrative delays and greater confidence among trading partners.

This article discusses how an ERP system designed for Australia’s produce wholesalers streamlines supplier management, minimises errors, and most importantly, supports timely payments.

1. Compliance For Australian Primary Wholesalers

Meeting the Horticultural Produce Code of Conduct (HCC) is one thing; maintaining compliance across hundreds of growers is another. Manual processes make it challenging to track agreements, payment terms, and deductions accurately. A purpose-built ERP simplifies this process by storing Horticultural Produce Agreements (HPAs) within the system and verifying compliance before payment approval. Each transaction is verified against its HPA, reducing the risk of breaches or disputes.

All deductions, commissions, and paybacks are recorded in real-time, creating audit-ready reports and transparent payment histories without the need for manual reconciliation. When a grower's pay-back is processed, the ERP confirms whether the transaction meets HPA requirements and flags or blocks non-compliant payments.

By embedding compliance directly into daily workflows, ERP transforms a manual, high-risk task into a consistent, repeatable process that protects both primary wholesalers and growers.

2. Automated Deductions and Transparent Pay-Back Calculations

Calculating deductions such as horticultural levies and commissions can be complex, especially for businesses handling multiple product lines and growers. A specialised ERP handles these processes to ensure transparent and accurate pay-backs.

An ERP supports both agent and merchant pricing models. It applies agreed formulas such as sale price minus allowable margin or commission, ensuring fairness and compliance with HPA conditions. Levies collected on behalf of growers are accrued and reported to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), while commissions on trademarked produce are calculated based on configured formulas.

3. Integrated Financial Workflow

Many payment delays occur when accounting and sales systems do not communicate properly. An ERP connects every step of the financial process, from goods receipt through to sale, deduction, and final payment.

Once produce is sold, the ERP applies the correct deductions, calculates commissions and generates compliant grower statements. Because all financial data is stored in one system, primary wholesalers no longer need to reconcile figures across multiple spreadsheets or programs. Each transaction updates the general ledger, ensuring up-to-date and accurate reporting.

By integrating financial workflows, primary wholesalers can shorten the time between sale and pay-back, reduce data entry errors and maintain complete control of their cash flow.

4. Real-Time Dashboards and Alerts

Visibility is key to preventing payment delays. Real-time dashboards in an ERP allow primary wholesalers to monitor the status of grower payments, detect missing information and track approval progress.

Custom alerts notify users when a grower statement is overdue, when an HPA has expired or if an agreement is at risk of breach. These proactive alerts allow wholesalers to resolve issues before they disrupt payment.

Access to real-time data also supports smarter management decisions. Wholesalers can identify which growers consistently deliver top-quality produce, analyse yield performance and address operational bottlenecks early. This improves supplier satisfaction and strengthens relationships built on reliability and transparency.

5. Future-Proof Grower Payments

In an industry built on relationships, the ability to pay growers on time and with complete transparency is essential. ERP ensures that payment processes remain efficient even as business volumes grow or regulatory requirements change.

By centralising compliance, traceability and financial workflows, wholesalers gain confidence that every grower payment is correct, compliant and prompt. This reliability fosters trust, supports long-term partnerships, and enhances your reputation.

As the Australian produce industry continues to modernise, adopting a cloud-based ERP, such as Fresh Market Agent, ensures you remain competitive, compliant, and ready for future growth.

Conclusion

Unlike general ERP platforms, produce-specific ERP software is purpose-built for Australia's fresh produce wholesalers. It unites compliance, finance, and grower management in one system that automates pay-backs, calculates levies and commissions, and enforces the Horticultural Code of Conduct.

Every transaction is linked directly to its corresponding lot, ensuring full traceability and transparency from receipt to payment. With integrated tools for sales and quality assurance, produce ERP software streamlines complex operations, providing primary wholesalers with faster, more accurate payments and stronger supplier relationships.

Fresh Market Agent Simplifies the Growth and Supply of Your Business

Fresh Market Agent helps primary wholesalers eliminate payment delays through grower management, HPA compliance, and streamlined payment workflows. Visit the Fresh Market Agent page for more details and to get in touch.

Related Blogs:

• Is Fresh Produce ERP Software Worth the Investment?

• Why Secondary Wholesalers Need a Distributor ERP

• The Ultimate Guide to ERP Software for Fruit and Vegetable Wholesalers