Why fruit and vegetable shortages and price rises could be the ‘new normal’

Australia’s wild weather over the past few months has stretched supermarket supplies of more than a dozen different fruit and vegetables.

And it’s driven subsequent price rises.

Woolworths sent 3AW Mornings a list of 16 varieties of fruit and vegetables in short supply, due to recent heavy rain in the northern states.

“These products often take three, six, maybe even 12 months to grow,” Emma Germano from the Victorian Farmers’ Federation explained on 3AW.

She said the weather was one of several factors contributing to food shortages, with worker shortages and soaring fuel prices also making life tough.

“There are a lot of things impacting the food supply chain,” Emma Germano said.

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