Tomato prices surge in Australia as virus outbreak and wet weather trigger major shortage

Tomatoes seem to have become harder to come by in Australia as consumers are forced to pay exorbitant prices due to supply issues in recent weeks. As fresh varieties of tomatoes are affected by different degrees, two major supermarket chains of Australia have reported supply issues.

Challenging weather conditions in northern Australia and detection of tomato brown rugose fruit virus in South Australia and Victoria have played a vital role in reducing stocks, yield and quality of tomatoes, according to ABC News. According to major supermarket and wholesale suppliers Flavourite, the average price of tomatoes has increased by $5 per kilo.

Flavourite's chief marketing officer, Sam Kisvarda, has said that consumers are paying “never seen before prices” as the weather in northern Australia and the virus outbreak in Victoria and South Australia halted the supply of the staple product. "At this time of the year in winter, compared to a usual year, it's about $5 more per kilo on average," he said.

Why are there no tomatoes in supermarkets?

The shortage of tomatoes in supermarkets has been caused by wild weather in Queensland, including heavy rain and flooding from ex-tropical cyclone Alfred and unseasonably cool conditions. According to ABC News, tomatoes were planted later than usual in the Sunshine State, so there have been delays in the fruit ripening.

When will tomatoes return to supermarkets?

The supermarkets are anticipating things to change soon and are very hopeful that the tomatoes will return on the shelves. "We are working closely with our network of growers across Australia on product specifications and increasing our sourcing options," a Coles spokesperson said, ABC News reported.

Kisvarda stated that he expected prices to start to come down in the coming weeks. "We should be back to normal supply by August or September," he said.