Bad news for Christmas lunches as cherry prices are set to rise
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‘Tis the season to be jolly, and as always, that means it’s time to start thinking about all the delicious food we’re going to enjoy over the holiday season!
Fruits, such as cherries, are one of the staple items on our Christmas table. Unfortunately, it looks like this year we might have to pay a bit more than usual.
Cherries are always a popular choice come December, but we're sorry to say that this year they might be a bit harder (and more expensive) to come by.
Australian growers are warning that prices are about to skyrocket in the lead-up to Christmas due to wet weather conditions impacting the fruit’s production levels.
According to market analyst Rabobank, the country’s sweet cherry sector has been in ‘a growth phase for the past four years’. They also claimed that more than 450,000 trees have been bearing fruit since 2018.
Although cherry production has seen a steady rise, three consecutive La Nina weather events did some considerable damage to the industry.
Additionally, wet weather in the cherry-picking season might damper the conditions in orchards. This increases the likelihood of cherries ‘splitting’, impacting the quality of fruit that gets sent to supermarkets.
RaboResearch Analyst Pia Piggott said: ‘This could see reduced local availability of the fruit for Australian consumers and lower volumes for export coming out of New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania – states which between them, account for 81 per cent of Australia’s cherry production.’
She added that since the peak of cherry consumption coincides with Christmas, the rain will ‘likely cause the lower-than-average supply of the fruit’.
This comes on top of overall fruit price inflation across the country.
Ms Piggott added: ‘The latest September quarter Consumer Price Index (CPI) data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows annual fruit price inflation now sitting at 14.6 per cent.’
Persistent rains and rising inflation also affected vegetables, such as corn and potatoes, being shipped to supermarkets across the country. According to retail giant Woolies, frozen vegetables and potato chips are in short supply this year. You can read more on that here.
What are your thoughts on this, members? Will you be cutting back on cherries this Christmas? Let us know in the comments below!
Fruits, such as cherries, are one of the staple items on our Christmas table. Unfortunately, it looks like this year we might have to pay a bit more than usual.
Cherries are always a popular choice come December, but we're sorry to say that this year they might be a bit harder (and more expensive) to come by.
Cherries might be harder to come by this holiday season. Credit Kindel Media in Pexels
Australian growers are warning that prices are about to skyrocket in the lead-up to Christmas due to wet weather conditions impacting the fruit’s production levels.
According to market analyst Rabobank, the country’s sweet cherry sector has been in ‘a growth phase for the past four years’. They also claimed that more than 450,000 trees have been bearing fruit since 2018.
Although cherry production has seen a steady rise, three consecutive La Nina weather events did some considerable damage to the industry.
Additionally, wet weather in the cherry-picking season might damper the conditions in orchards. This increases the likelihood of cherries ‘splitting’, impacting the quality of fruit that gets sent to supermarkets.
RaboResearch Analyst Pia Piggott said: ‘This could see reduced local availability of the fruit for Australian consumers and lower volumes for export coming out of New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania – states which between them, account for 81 per cent of Australia’s cherry production.’
She added that since the peak of cherry consumption coincides with Christmas, the rain will ‘likely cause the lower-than-average supply of the fruit’.
Weather conditions impacted the quality and production of cherries, according to RaboResearch. Credit: Engin Akyurt in Pexels
This comes on top of overall fruit price inflation across the country.
Ms Piggott added: ‘The latest September quarter Consumer Price Index (CPI) data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows annual fruit price inflation now sitting at 14.6 per cent.’
Persistent rains and rising inflation also affected vegetables, such as corn and potatoes, being shipped to supermarkets across the country. According to retail giant Woolies, frozen vegetables and potato chips are in short supply this year. You can read more on that here.
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