What’s causing eye-watering lettuce prices (and the next vegetable likely to be in short supply)

Australia is facing a severe lettuce shortage, with prices for a single head of lettuce reaching $12 at some shops.

The shortage is so significant that KFC is replacing lettuce with cabbage in its burgers.

Victorian lettuce grower and chair of AUSVEG, Bill Bulmer, says flooding in Queensland is causing the eye-watering prices.

“In normal times you’d probably see lettuce from $1.50 to $2.50 in the supermarkets at this time of year, but the floods have probably taken 80 per cent of Australia’s lettuce production out of production,” he told Ross and Russel.

“The major growing regions of Australia at this time of year are Brisbane and out of Brisbane in the Gatton region, and they’ve been impacted by floods in February as well as in May.”

Mr Bulmer says warned shortages of lettuce, capsicum and spinach will continue “for the next three months”.

“Then, probably, the looming shortage coming into spring is going to be onions,” he said.

Press PLAY below to hear what’s driving the sky-high lettuce prices + which other vegetables will soon be in short supply