Hospitality venues to see produce price rises due to recent weather events

Over the past week, the unprecedented rainfall and flooding experienced across NSW and SEQ have left many farmers, suppliers, and local producers with limited supplies of specific product lines. Therefore, placing extra reliance on interstate supply chains and distributors has been strained further due to the increased cost of transportation (fuel) and unsafe roads.

We chatted with our network of suppliers and industry experts about how the recent flood will impact prices, quality and the availability of specific produce, mainly fruit & veg and meat, over the coming months.

Market Update

Overall, the extreme weather increases transportation costs, and the availability of products will directly impact the supply, pricing and quality of certain goods, including fruit & veg and meat.

How does it impact fruit & veg supplies?

• The floods have heavily affected the stock and availability of ground-dwelling vegetables & fruits such as leafy greens. Before being able to reseed, farmers need to wait for the land to dry out and check that the soil in paddocks is dry enough for tractors and other machinery to start reseeding. From reseeding to picking, it can take up to 4 months to harvest new crops.
• Supplies of herbs, lettuce, leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and nightshade vegetables that are grown in northern NSW, and SEQ has been diminished. We expect to see less lower availability of produce from these regions and price rises of these products as Victorian suppliers will subsidise supplies.
• Expect general lower quality NSW grown product as many recent harvests were impacted by excess water.

What Impact does it have on meat supplies?

• Initially, meat supplies will not be affected; however, we will see steady price increases over time as processors, distributors and suppliers need to account for transportation costs and increased demand on their supply chains.

While some suppliers may have temporarily limited delivery zones as they deal with flood damage and start the recovery process. Below are some tips on how you can easily adapt your menu to suit what produce is available.

• Review your menu offering. Breakdown your signature dishes and menu items to see what items you are able to substitute.
• Compare the pear 🍐 Use Foodbomb’s easy filters to refine your search and compare price, product availability and range of your local suppliers.
• Remember, you’re not alone. Our team of industry experts have you covered!

We’re here to help

Need a hand, have a question or need to discuss any significant supply or delivery issues? We’ve got you covered! If you’re already using Foodbomb, reach out to your Growth Manager.

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