Farmer turns food waste into healthy cauliflower rice convenience product

A West Australian cauliflower grower is giving new life to his leftover product by turning it into cauliflower rice.

Cauli-rice is a convenience product sold in grocery stores.

Essentially, it is cauliflower finely chopped into rice-size pieces that, when put in specific packaging, can cook in a matter of minutes in the microwave.

Gary Ryan, who farms in Manjimup in the state's south-west, began the business venture into the healthy 'rice' line as a way of value-adding to his business.

He said up to 40 per cent of his crop had been thrown away due to not meeting specifications, and this was a way to use that product.

"We saw a bit of an avenue for it in the market because, at the time, you couldn't buy Western Australian-made cauliflower rice," he said.

"So we try to use our cauliflowers that aren't up to spec for [other outlets], like the ones that have a little mark so you can't actually sell them.

"Because they're white they're so easy to damage."

Performing well with consumers

Cauli-rice is relatively easy to make at home, albeit messy.

But Mr Ryan said the product was still performing well on the market shelves so far.

He said sales were increasing and new stores were taking on the product each week.

But the process of value-adding a whole new business to his farming operation had been no easy feat.

Mr Ryan said it had been a hard six months in the lead-up to the product's launch.

"Just trying to get the labelling right, getting it tested, trying to get use-by dates organised and packaging sorted," he said.

"Branding your own stuff isn't that easy. You really need someone based [in the nearest capital city]."