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.

"[Consumers] are buying it and the sales are going up every week, so that's good," he said.

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]."

Bevan Eatts has developed a fruit leather product to make use of second-grade fruit on his farm. ( ABC Rural: Tyne Logan )

Value-adding with second-grade product

Fruit grower Bevan Eatts agrees value-adding can be difficult and takes a lot of effort.

The Manjimup stone fruit grower has just launched an edible fruit leather product to make use of second-grade fruit.

It is a venture that cost him $150,000 in infrastructure, and countless hours of trialling and testing.

"Ideally I'd love to see a situation where the farmers can get good money for their second-grade product," he said.

"If a hailstorm comes through you've still got an avenue."

Mr Eatts, who is also the chairman of the Southern Forests Food Council, a government-funded marketing arm for produce in the region, said there were good opportunities for farmers to make money by value-adding to their business.

"The hardest thing is getting all your information together and being either bold or stupid and taking the punt and making it work," he said.

"It's hard to establish those export connections, but it's actually a small world and once you're out there everyone knows who else is out there."