Empty fruit shelves again? Here's what’s really behind the shortage
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A customer at Coles recently stumbled upon an unexpected notice that might disappoint snack lovers.
Aussie-grown blueberries—often a lunchbox favourite—have become harder to find and more expensive.
And it turns out the weather is to blame for this juicy problem.
Unseasonal rain and overcast conditions in key growing regions have led to a national blueberry shortage, pushing up prices across major supermarket chains.
A sign posted in-store in late July alerted Coles shoppers to the disruption: ‘We regret to advise this product is in short supply due to extreme weather activity in the growing region and may be temporarily unavailable. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.’
The Coles catalogue had promoted 125g punnets of Australian blueberries from 23 July, but many customers found empty shelves instead.
A Coles spokesperson shared that the issue stemmed from a major weather event in one of their key growing regions:
‘Due to recent heavy rain that occurred just last week in one of our key growing areas causing some damage to crops and impacting picking schedules, we are seeing a tighter blueberry supply right now.’
While supply was expected to improve in the coming weeks, Coles reassured customers there were still plenty of alternatives.
‘In the meantime, we've got no shortage of fresh fruit on offer, with 100 per cent Aussie in-season citrus fruits in strong supply for a Vitamin C boost this winter!
‘And while cherries aren't in season locally, we're excited to offer top-quality cherries from the US. They're tasting incredible and we've got plenty to go around.’
At the peak of the shortage, Coles had priced a 125g punnet of blueberries at $5, although that had since dropped to $4.70.
Woolworths listed theirs at $4, and Aldi offered the best deal at $3.99.
Cosimo Macri, berry category manager at Express Fruit Service at Sydney Markets, said the issue would likely stretch through August.
Regions from Coffs Harbour to Byron Bay were the hardest hit, suffering from weeks of rain and overcast skies.
‘They've just been getting a lot of bad weather, a lot of rain, a lot of overcast days. And blueberries like sun,’ Macri said.
He explained that inconsistent weather patterns were delaying harvests and affecting berry quality.
‘They'll pick a good bit of fruit for a couple of days, and then they won't go in a pick because it's raining. Because if you pick blueberries and they're still wet, they don't get that bloom in.’
The ‘bloom’—a white, powdery film on the berries—was a sign of freshness and helped extend shelf life.
‘If you pick blueberries and they're wet, they'll be all shiny and that's like it's protection so they won't last as long,’ he said.
Macri also noted that the problem extended beyond blueberries.
‘Strawberries are also being impacted, along with all the berries at the moment.’
He said the current conditions were forcing some growers to sell more second-grade fruit in bulk family packs.
‘You're not getting that really beautiful, clean fruit because it's just doing a lot of damage to the strawberries. And blueberries are the same.’
Even with backup supply from the Sunshine Coast and northern Queensland, it wasn’t enough to meet national demand.
‘The biggest guy in Coffs Harbour, it's the Oz Group Coop, they're packing about 7000 to 8000 trays a week at the moment. But when they're in full production, they're picking about 350,000 to 400,000 trays a week,’ Macri revealed.
He said farmers faced an uphill battle year-round.
‘If it's too hot, it cooks the fruit; if it's too cold, you get the fruit, but it doesn't grow. And then if you get rain or frost or hail… there's a lot of weather variables in fresh produce.’
Blueberries from New Zealand, Queensland, and Western Australia were helping to fill the gap, but production was unlikely to return to normal levels until September through November.
Later in the year, southern growers in Victoria and Tasmania would step in.
Macri said blueberries had surged in popularity, particularly among families.
‘You've got to remember with blueberries, there's no stems, there's no seeds, they are pretty portable for families. They can take a punnet to school, put a few in a lunchbox, and eat them straight away.’
One organisation helping Aussie families stretch their grocery budgets is Box Divvy, a social enterprise that distributes produce via community ‘hubs’.
This week, the service listed blueberries at $3.50 per punnet, or three for $9—cheaper than all the major supermarkets.
Box Divvy’s seasonal offerings also included passionfruit for 75c each, Afourer mandarins for under $3 per kilo, and blood oranges for just over $3 a kilo.
Families could also score 500g of Queensland strawberries for under $6, Royal Gala apples for $3.60 per kilo, and Kensington Pride mangoes from Darwin for $6.50 each.
Mango prices were expected to fall by early October.
If you’ve noticed more than just blueberries going up in price lately, you’re not alone.
The ripple effects of weather events, supply chain issues, and supermarket mark-ups are being felt across a wide range of everyday essentials.
For a deeper look at what’s driving grocery costs higher this year, here’s another story worth reading.
Read more: Prices are soaring—here’s what you need to know about your grocery bill in 2025!
For now, shoppers might need to swap their blueberries for mandarins—but the berry comeback isn’t far off.
Aussie-grown blueberries—often a lunchbox favourite—have become harder to find and more expensive.
And it turns out the weather is to blame for this juicy problem.
Unseasonal rain and overcast conditions in key growing regions have led to a national blueberry shortage, pushing up prices across major supermarket chains.
A sign posted in-store in late July alerted Coles shoppers to the disruption: ‘We regret to advise this product is in short supply due to extreme weather activity in the growing region and may be temporarily unavailable. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.’
The Coles catalogue had promoted 125g punnets of Australian blueberries from 23 July, but many customers found empty shelves instead.
Blueberry shortage hits Coles supermarket shelves. Image source: Pexels/Olga
Disclaimer: This is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual person, item, or event described.
Disclaimer: This is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual person, item, or event described.
A Coles spokesperson shared that the issue stemmed from a major weather event in one of their key growing regions:
‘Due to recent heavy rain that occurred just last week in one of our key growing areas causing some damage to crops and impacting picking schedules, we are seeing a tighter blueberry supply right now.’
While supply was expected to improve in the coming weeks, Coles reassured customers there were still plenty of alternatives.
‘In the meantime, we've got no shortage of fresh fruit on offer, with 100 per cent Aussie in-season citrus fruits in strong supply for a Vitamin C boost this winter!
‘And while cherries aren't in season locally, we're excited to offer top-quality cherries from the US. They're tasting incredible and we've got plenty to go around.’
At the peak of the shortage, Coles had priced a 125g punnet of blueberries at $5, although that had since dropped to $4.70.
Woolworths listed theirs at $4, and Aldi offered the best deal at $3.99.
Cosimo Macri, berry category manager at Express Fruit Service at Sydney Markets, said the issue would likely stretch through August.
Regions from Coffs Harbour to Byron Bay were the hardest hit, suffering from weeks of rain and overcast skies.
‘They've just been getting a lot of bad weather, a lot of rain, a lot of overcast days. And blueberries like sun,’ Macri said.
He explained that inconsistent weather patterns were delaying harvests and affecting berry quality.
‘They'll pick a good bit of fruit for a couple of days, and then they won't go in a pick because it's raining. Because if you pick blueberries and they're still wet, they don't get that bloom in.’
The ‘bloom’—a white, powdery film on the berries—was a sign of freshness and helped extend shelf life.
‘If you pick blueberries and they're wet, they'll be all shiny and that's like it's protection so they won't last as long,’ he said.
Macri also noted that the problem extended beyond blueberries.
‘Strawberries are also being impacted, along with all the berries at the moment.’
He said the current conditions were forcing some growers to sell more second-grade fruit in bulk family packs.
‘You're not getting that really beautiful, clean fruit because it's just doing a lot of damage to the strawberries. And blueberries are the same.’
Even with backup supply from the Sunshine Coast and northern Queensland, it wasn’t enough to meet national demand.
‘The biggest guy in Coffs Harbour, it's the Oz Group Coop, they're packing about 7000 to 8000 trays a week at the moment. But when they're in full production, they're picking about 350,000 to 400,000 trays a week,’ Macri revealed.
He said farmers faced an uphill battle year-round.
‘If it's too hot, it cooks the fruit; if it's too cold, you get the fruit, but it doesn't grow. And then if you get rain or frost or hail… there's a lot of weather variables in fresh produce.’
Blueberries from New Zealand, Queensland, and Western Australia were helping to fill the gap, but production was unlikely to return to normal levels until September through November.
Later in the year, southern growers in Victoria and Tasmania would step in.
Macri said blueberries had surged in popularity, particularly among families.
‘You've got to remember with blueberries, there's no stems, there's no seeds, they are pretty portable for families. They can take a punnet to school, put a few in a lunchbox, and eat them straight away.’
One organisation helping Aussie families stretch their grocery budgets is Box Divvy, a social enterprise that distributes produce via community ‘hubs’.
This week, the service listed blueberries at $3.50 per punnet, or three for $9—cheaper than all the major supermarkets.
Box Divvy’s seasonal offerings also included passionfruit for 75c each, Afourer mandarins for under $3 per kilo, and blood oranges for just over $3 a kilo.
Families could also score 500g of Queensland strawberries for under $6, Royal Gala apples for $3.60 per kilo, and Kensington Pride mangoes from Darwin for $6.50 each.
Mango prices were expected to fall by early October.
If you’ve noticed more than just blueberries going up in price lately, you’re not alone.
The ripple effects of weather events, supply chain issues, and supermarket mark-ups are being felt across a wide range of everyday essentials.
For a deeper look at what’s driving grocery costs higher this year, here’s another story worth reading.
Read more: Prices are soaring—here’s what you need to know about your grocery bill in 2025!
For now, shoppers might need to swap their blueberries for mandarins—but the berry comeback isn’t far off.
