Fruit And Vege Suppliers Not Expecting Yasi-Style Crisis

Nth Qld Crops Badly Affected


Article heading image for Fruit And Vege Suppliers Not Expecting Yasi-Style Crisis

Pic: Fruitnet.com

Supermarket shelves should start looking a little healthier this week... with supply trucks now able to access their distribution centre and stores, as the roads clear post-Cyclone Debbie's deluge. 

Clayfield Markets Fresh owner Carlo Lorenti says many were also lacking supplies because farmers couldn't access their crops, thanks to the weather event. 

Many of those farmers are in badly hit North Queensland, especially in the Bowen region which is particularly big for tomatoes, capsicums, pumpkin and mangoes. 

Lorenti says while supply may be down for some fruits in some seasons - 

"It'll be from, say, late May to early June for the likes of tomatoes and capsicums and those type of lines that are coming out of Bowen but then in the later time, when the Summer fruits hit, like mangoes, that'll be a big impact" 

He says sellers are not expecting big jumps in prices, despite initial fears of a fallout similar to the banana prices post-Cyclone Yasi. 

"I can't see it being over the top because if you're looking at let's say capsicums for example... well over the past 6 months, I haven't seen a cheap capsicum anywhere. We're still paying big money for a box of capsicums at the moment and that is no impact from the cyclone" 

Lorenti says the way we can help is to keep buying local: 

"These farmers have been through really tough times. I just encourage Australians to just go out and buy Australian product. Locally grown. Because at the end of the day most of the money that goes into our stores is going to go on and help the public."

3 April 2017




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