February 22, 2025
Australian consumers have been warned to brace for “dramatically inflated” produce prices following “substantial damage” to crops after Far North Queensland was battered by fatal floods.
Homes were left without power and submerged in floodwaters, while a bridge on the Bruce Highway was broken apart when Far North Queensland was hit by floods earlier this month. A woman in her 60s died in the floods in Ingham while an 82-year-old woman died just days later.
Supermarket shelves in the region were left partially empty in early February, with some stores even cut off amid the wild weather.
As the state cleans up Australians have been warned produce shortages could be on the cards moving forward.
AgForce Queensland general president Shane McCarthy said the damage to crops could be felt by consumers in the coming weeks.
“Substantial is one word I’d use,” Mr McCarthy told NewsWire.
“Quite substantial damage to crops that are in process, and now we’re starting to see a lot of damage and stock losses.”
He said sugar cane, banana and avocado crops were affected directly by the floods, while products could also be affected if they were unable to be put on the market on time due to road closures.
Consumers across the country could be affected by the damage, he warned.