Why the price of apples has skyrocketed

The price of apples has skyrocketed in Australia.

3AW Mornings producer Michael Hilder paid $1.87 for one pink lady apple this morning — more than a Mars bar, a packet of Smarties, or a KitKat.

Goulburn Valley fruit grower, Peter Hall, who runs Hall’s Orchards, says a combination of factors explain the price hike.

“I think it would be for fruit from last season, and the national crop was down for a variety of reasons, and supply and demand has perhaps pushed prices up, probably to levels that, as farmers, we would like them to be at,” he told Neil Mitchell.

“There was a bushfire in Batlow, some apples are grown around there.

“There was drought up in Stanthorpe. They were trucking in water in tankers.

“There was general national crop shortfall through seasonal variations. That happens from time to time.”

Mr Hall said Australians have got used to “very low-priced fruit” and cautioned picker shortages may mean prices stay high in future.

“If we don’t pick them in a certain timeframe they won’t be suitable for retailing and that crop will be lost,” he said.

“It’s a real problem.”

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