Aussies warned to brace for banana shortage as floods rage on in north Queensland

Australians are being warned to brace for a banana shortage at supermarkets across the country as ongoing floods in north Queensland cut off vital transport routes.

North Queensland alone accounts for more than 90 per cent of the country's banana production, transporting the fruit to southern states like New South Wales and Victoria along the Bruce Highway.

But monsoonal rains have caused multiple closures along the vital transport route, impacting banana supplies in other states.

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Supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths are both working to manage the supply shortage, which is expected to affect different regions at different times.

"Due to the floods in Far North Queensland, key delivery routes for bananas have been impacted," a Woolworths spokesperson told 9news.com.au.

"For a short time, customers may notice less bananas nationally on the shelf. We are working hard to return supply to normal as soon as possible."

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A Coles spokesperson told 9news: "We are working closely with our Queensland banana suppliers to get bananas to the rest of the country as supply routes begin to re-open.

"We have managed to get some bananas out already, and are continuing to work hard to find available routes for more banana deliveries."

Supply shortages could also see the price of bananas spike, as has happened in the wake of past weather events.

In 2011, Cyclone Yasi, the biggest storm in Queensland's history, ravaged the state's banana plantations and saw prices soar to $14 a kilo.

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The Bruce Highway closures have forced trucks transporting bananas out of north Queensland onto longer inland routes that could soon be cut off too.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned north Queensland residents to prepare for more heavy rainfall in the coming days, with the rain band expected to push even further inland, putting the routes trucks are currently relying on at risk.

Local reports have also suggested that some farmers have been forced to cull crops affected by the floods.

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