Customers at an IGA in Queensland are outraged by the prices of fresh produce, with one shopper even making the comment that "only the elite can afford fresh fruit and vegetables."

The shopper in question said she was "outraged" by how much fresh produce costs at her local IGA. This comes as experts warn that a "perfect storm" of high fuel prices, rising wholesale gas prices, and pressure on resources could cause food prices to rise by 10% this year.

The woman uploaded two pictures to Reddit on Monday, showcasing the fruit and vegetable section of a store located in Redcliffe, which is located in the Moreton Bay Region of Queensland.

One displayed iceberg lettuce for a whopping $11.99 each, while the other displayed punnets of strawberries and blueberries for $14.99 and $19.49, respectively. In terms of price per kilo, strawberries cost $59.96, while blueberries cost $155.92.

"That's a bloody outrage, it is!" she wrote alongside the images. "I live in a place where only the elite can afford fresh fruit and vegetables, the worst bit is that I'm a bloody Australian; we literally grow 99 per cent of our fresh produce here."

Shoppers in a Queensland IGA are upset about how much fresh fruit and vegetables cost. Credit: Reddit.​

The shopper's post sparked a heated discussion amongst the hundreds of fellow Aussies on the popular forum site. Numerous customers claimed that the higher prices at independent grocers were yet another reason to steer clear of supermarkets altogether after seeing the post.

"Go to a fruit and vegetable shop rather than a convenience store because that's what you're paying for," one user suggested. "Go to the markets or fruit and vegetable stores. They are much better."

Others claimed that no one in their right mind would pay that much for fruit and vegetables. Whether they have the "right mind" or not, however, it appears more likely that Aussies will be forced to pay such prices.

Agriculture expert David Williams told The Australian that even without the war in Ukraine, weather disasters, or labour shortages, "Covid-related effects alone" would cause good companies to raise prices by 10% this year.

"Significant one-time increases in grain costs will drive food inflation and raise the cost of stock feed, and thus beef and other proteins," Mr Williams explained.

"The effect of this will be to undermine the incredible success of increasing incomes in developing countries by pushing people back into poverty and starvation for others."

That is also likely why other Reddit users defended fresh produce growers, citing recent flooding in Queensland as the cause of the price increase.

One person noted that given that Bundaberg had its crops wiped out and the food bowl in the Lockyer Valley is decimated due to the relentless rain, there has been an increase in the cost of fresh produce.

The cost of farming has also "roughly tripled" this year, with fertiliser and fuel prices at all-time highs, according to a farmer.

"Fertiliser has gone from $1,200 per ton to $3,000 as ‘cheap’. You all know what fuel has done. Glyphosate has gone $6/L to $13-$14," he added.

With the price of fresh produce constantly rising, it's critical that we do our part as consumers to conserve as much as we can. Check out one of our previous articles here on how to reduce food waste!

 

[Ricci]

We will all be transitioning our flower beds to vegetable plots soon. Maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing as there's nothing that tastes better than something you've grown yourself.

 

[Pommyoz]

Yep! strawberries, butternut, queensland blue, zucchinis, tomatoes, yellow squash, chokos, banana passionfruit, ALL from our garden at various times of course! Other than that, we shop at the green grocers instead of Coles etc., With gardening, make your compost, it is easy, dont forget, they wont be supermarket perfect shape, but we don't care.

 

[one2one]

Cost of living is going to destroy families who are struggling enough now, I support local vegetable shops as much as I can but access to theses is not alway assessable. Yes I can see the practicality of growing you own veggies and trading with your neighbours, but not all people are lucky enough to have their own property or space as the exists in concrete jungles this is a shame and Charaties can only do so much if we thing keep going will be living in a third world country. The old saying goes the rich get richer and the poorer poorer, on current tends this will now be the majority of hard working Australians who are on the boarder line of poverty. Council give the government give the self pay rises and forgot that they are working for the people not for themselves. Farmers Have always done it tough but more so now, if you cannot afford to but vegetables they they will rot and no one benefits from this.

 

[Pommyoz]

Cost of living is going to destroy families who are struggling enough now, I support local vegetable shops as much as I can but access to theses is not alway assessable. Yes I can see the practicality of growing you own veggies and trading with your neighbours, but not all people are lucky enough to have their own property or space as the exists in concrete jungles this is a shame and Charaties can only do so much if we thing keep going will be living in a third world country. The old saying goes the rich get richer and the poorer poorer, on current tends this will now be the majority of hard working Australians who are on the boarder line of poverty. Council give the government give the self pay rises and forgot that they are working for the people not for themselves. Farmers Have always done it tough but more so now, if you cannot afford to but vegetables they they will rot and no one benefits from this.

We dug up our garden, made a 10' x 3' space, any vine fruit is up the fence, and only enough for the two of us. I understand the concrete jungle bit, and there are ways of creating for yourself only. Never mind about neighbours,

 

[Maurie7]

The floods are the cause of vegie prices, just hope the growers are getting their fair cut out of these prices.

 

[Evol P]

I just hope the farmers are getting a bit of the major money we are paying for their crops and not just lining the pockets of the supermarket's shareholders.

 

[viviennemary1951]

I think personally, that a lot of the high priced items will end up in landfill. Not many people can afford to spend this much when we are on a limited budget. Pensioners have to first pay bills then budget for the large bills, like electricity and rates (if you have your own home).So lettuce and fresh fruit and veg may become a "thing" of the past. Frozen and tinned may become the norm.

 

[Rona G]

IGA customer says 'only the rich' can afford fresh produce now: "That's a bloody outrage!"​

Customers at an IGA in Queensland are outraged by the prices of fresh produce, with one shopper even making the comment that "only the elite can afford fresh fruit and vegetables."

The shopper in question said she was "outraged" by how much fresh produce costs at her local IGA. This comes as experts warn that a "perfect storm" of high fuel prices, rising wholesale gas prices, and pressure on resources could cause food prices to rise by 10% this year.

​

The woman uploaded two pictures to Reddit on Monday, showcasing the fruit and vegetable section of a store located in Redcliffe, which is located in the Moreton Bay Region of Queensland.

One displayed iceberg lettuce for a whopping $11.99 each, while the other displayed punnets of strawberries and blueberries for $14.99 and $19.49, respectively. In terms of price per kilo, strawberries cost $59.96, while blueberries cost $155.92.

"That's a bloody outrage, it is!" she wrote alongside the images. "I live in a place where only the elite can afford fresh fruit and vegetables, the worst bit is that I'm a bloody Australian; we literally grow 99 per cent of our fresh produce here."

Shoppers in a Queensland IGA are upset about how much fresh fruit and vegetables cost. Credit: Reddit.​

The shopper's post sparked a heated discussion amongst the hundreds of fellow Aussies on the popular forum site. Numerous customers claimed that the higher prices at independent grocers were yet another reason to steer clear of supermarkets altogether after seeing the post.

"Go to a fruit and vegetable shop rather than a convenience store because that's what you're paying for," one user suggested. "Go to the markets or fruit and vegetable stores. They are much better."

Others claimed that no one in their right mind would pay that much for fruit and vegetables. Whether they have the "right mind" or not, however, it appears more likely that Aussies will be forced to pay such prices.

Agriculture expert David Williams told The Australian that even without the war in Ukraine, weather disasters, or labour shortages, "Covid-related effects alone" would cause good companies to raise prices by 10% this year.

"Significant one-time increases in grain costs will drive food inflation and raise the cost of stock feed, and thus beef and other proteins," Mr Williams explained.

"The effect of this will be to undermine the incredible success of increasing incomes in developing countries by pushing people back into poverty and starvation for others."

​

That is also likely why other Reddit users defended fresh produce growers, citing recent flooding in Queensland as the cause of the price increase.

One person noted that given that Bundaberg had its crops wiped out and the food bowl in the Lockyer Valley is decimated due to the relentless rain, there has been an increase in the cost of fresh produce.

The cost of farming has also "roughly tripled" this year, with fertiliser and fuel prices at all-time highs, according to a farmer.

"Fertiliser has gone from $1,200 per ton to $3,000 as ‘cheap’. You all know what fuel has done. Glyphosate has gone $6/L to $13-$14," he added.

With the price of fresh produce constantly rising, it's critical that we do our part as consumers to conserve as much as we can. Check out one of our previous articles here on how to reduce food waste!

I am so glad I live here in Broken Hill NSW our local IGA has the best of fresh fruit & veg and always seems to be more value for money than the other supermarkets Thanks IGA