Why Australia’s favourite fruit costs twice as much right now
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Shoppers are copping a double whammy in the produce section of the supermarket, as apple prices rise by up to 40 per cent despite a reduction in quality amid challenging growing conditions.
Unfortunately, the problem is set to continue until early next year, according to Anton van den Berg from community fruit and vegetable wholesaler Box Divvy.
Apple prices have increased by as much as 40 per cent due to challenging growing conditions. Jo Abi
“Apple supply is tight and will remain so until the end of this year,” van den Berg told nine.com.au.
The reasons include low carry-over stock early in the season, but the main driver has been weather.
Unfortunately, there is no relief in sight for apple lovers until early next year. Jo Abi
“The main culprit has been the hot and dry spring weather last year,” he explained.
“This reduced flowering and fruit set, and produced a lot of undersized fruit. As a result, current apple prices are easily 30 to 40 per cent higher than this time last year, and that wasn’t a great season either.”
Pears and tropical fruit also hit
Pears have been hit just as hard due to identical growing conditions, pushing prices 40 per cent to 50 per cent higher than last season.
Tropical fruit supplies remain equally patchy. Pineapples are currently scarce, though passionfruit, papaya, and banana prices remain roughly average or below.
Citrus supplies taking shoppers by surprise
What is taking some Aussie shoppers off guard this winter is “patchy” citrus stock. Imperial mandarins are ending early, putting pressure on seedless Afourer mandarins to carry the rest of the season.
“Murcotts are good early in the season, but as time progresses, they get more seedy,” van den Berg explained.
Imperial and Murcott mandarins are currently in season. Jo Abi
“Afourers are sweet with literally no seeds, making them popular with kids. The only real advantage Imperials have is that they’re easier to peel, but they usually have a few seeds. Yuk!”
What to buy instead for better value
For shoppers looking to stretch their produce budget, van den Berg points to a few budget-friendly highlights across winter produce.
Oranges: Regular Navels are less than $2 a kilo, while sweeter Cara Cara Navels sit about $3 a kilo.
Lemons: These are having a stellar winter. They are affordable, abundant, and selling for less than $3 a kilo or 50c each. However, limes are out of season and currently cost more than $10 a kilo.
Other winter fruits are also facing challenging seasons. Jo Abi
Mandarins: Wholesalers such as Box Divvy are selling Afourers for about $3 a kilo and Imperials for less than $4 a kilo.
Berries & Melons: Melons and kiwi fruit remain pricey, but small strawberries are already dropping to less than $6 for jumbo 500g punnets. Berry prices overall are expected to drop further by early August if warm weather hits northern growing regions.
Ultimately, van den Berg’s top pick for best value fruit right now are lemons, Afourer mandarins, Nashi pears, and small strawberries.
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