Consumers are paying "never-seen-before" high prices for fresh tomatoes, as the staple product has become harder to come by in recent weeks. Australia's two major supermarket chains have reported supply issues, with all fresh tomato varieties affected to varying degrees.
Challenging weather conditions in northern Australia have reduced tomato stocks. Production has also been squeezed by the detection of tomato brown rugose fruit virus in South Australia and Victoria, which reduces yield and quality.
The average price of tomatoes has increased by $5 per kilo, according to major supermarket and wholesale suppliers Flavourite. "Consumers are seeing high prices, which they've probably never seen this high before," Flavourite's chief marketing officer, Sam Kisvarda, said. "At this time of the year in winter, compared to a usual year, it's about $5 more per kilo on average."
The southern states supply tomatoes in summer and autumn, but as the weather cools down in winter, harvesting ramps up in the north. But wild weather in Queensland, including heavy rain and flooding from ex-tropical cyclone Alfred, followed by unseasonably cool conditions, has pushed back production.
Read more at ABC News Australia
