The two vegetables that may be hard to find this weekend, and what you can buy instead

Supermarket shoppers may find cabbages and broccoli in short supply this weekend as stock begins to taper off as the weather warms up, triggering price increases.

Arthur Michael from Murphy’s Produce, a fruit and vegetable wholesaler at Sydney Markets, told nine.com.au cabbage volumes were “slightly down as supply moves from local growers to interstate”.

“Broccoli is following a similar pattern. It gets too hot in Queensland at this time of year, so we’re now sourcing it from Victoria,” he said.

Shoppers will face steep cabbage prices this weekend, with Coles selling half pieces of drumhead white cabbage for $4.70 each and $6.90 for a whole mini drumhead white cabbage.

At Woolworths, a half piece of fresh green cabbage is $4.25 and a whole is $8.50 each. Aldi selling half pieces of cabbage for $3.49 each.

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Broccoli costs $6.50 per kilo this weekend at Coles, $2.15 per piece at Woolworths, and $5.99 per kilo at Aldi.

In good news, there are plenty of alternatives for grocery shoppers this weekend, including bok choy and pumpkin.

“Vegetables in season at the moment include potatoes, onions, pumpkin, butternut, garlic, and all the greens like bok choy,” Michael said.

Potatoes are also having a “fantastic season” after previous seasons didn’t fare as well due to adverse weather conditions and other crop issues, which made prices soar as supplies dwindled and much of the crop selling in supermarkets presented with visible spots.

“Potatoes have had a fantastic season,” Michael explained.

“Growers have had excellent weather conditions, so supply is very good and prices are reasonable.

“That’s great news after last-year’s shortage, which was partly caused by potato mop-top virus.

“Pumpkins and butternut are also in abundance and well priced at Sydney Markets and your local grocer.”

Stone fruit season kicks off this week, with nectarines and peaches hitting shelves.

“These are the early varieties, but they’re available and tasting great,” Michael said adding that in the next two to four weeks, we’ll see the best stone fruit varieties come through.

Although Anton van den Berg, co-founder of community food network Box Divvy, has told nine.com.au the industry expects 10 per cent lower stone fruit volumes this summer because of the unseasonably warm winter in the southern stone fruit regions.

“This has reduced ‘chilling hours’ required by deciduous trees for a healthy fruit set.”

Watermelon and mangoes are also in season, and so far supply is “very good”. Mango season has also begun.

Then there is the fruit season we have all been waiting for: cherry season, which kicks off in November.