Australian farmers have felt the pain of high prices for food products, mainly vegetables, along with consumers, and an agricultural group says no one is a winner.
As for the vegetable crisis, most of the blame is on the weather because at this time of year, much of the vegetables on Australian supermarket shelves come from Queensland, specifically the Lockyer Valley, so like Scenic Rim and Stanthorpe.
But three months of rain have almost ended a whole crop of common vegetables, resulting in low yields and high prices.
The price of iceberg lettuce reached $ 12 at a Queensland supermarket. (Reddit)
Catherine Velisha, managing director of Velisha Farms, an agricultural group in southern Victoria, says it has been a difficult time for everyone in the supply chain.
“No one is winning, including retailers. Farmers, retailers, we all have the same problems as consumers right now,” Velisha told Today.
“The reason prices are so expensive is because there’s not much stock around. Farmers who should harvest between 100 and 200 pallets a day may be reduced to 10 pallets.”
The floods in Queensland and the ensuing bad weather wiped out many products. (new)
Velisha says iceberg lettuce is usually considered a declining product.
She hopes that if there is one positive thing that comes out of the price hike, it is that when prices go down, consumers will be more excited to buy iceberg lettuce.
“Everyone talks about fresh produce and maybe they realize how important it is to their daily lives. We can get a positive out of it.”