Blueberry shortage hits Coles and Woolworths after heavy rain damages crops
Australian shoppers may find it difficult to buy blueberries. Coles and Woolworths confirm a shortage. Heavy rainfall damaged crops. This disrupted harvests. Coles stocks imported cherries from the United States temporarily. Woolworths also faces similar issues. Earlier, broccoli became hard to find. Floods in New South Wales caused this. Coles works with suppliers to restore stock levels.
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Coles and Woolworths confirm limited supply; prices expected to stabilise soon
Shoppers across Australia may struggle to find blueberries in the coming weeks, with Coles and Woolworths confirming a supply shortage. The drop in availability is due to recent heavy rainfall that damaged crops and disrupted harvests in key growing regions.Coles acknowledged the shortage after customers noticed signs in-store and questioned catalogue listings. The supermarket told news.com.au that crop damage and delayed picking schedules have led to a temporary dip in blueberry supply.Despite the disruption, Coles assured customers that the situation is short-term. Supply is expected to improve in the coming weeks.To meet ongoing demand, Coles has temporarily stocked imported cherries from the United States. However, this supply is expected to end soon.Woolworths is facing similar issues. Like Coles, its blueberry stock has been hit by poor weather conditions.
According to ABC, blueberry prices peaked at $9.80 per punnet in June, far above the typical low of $2.50 seen in October 2024.While blueberries are scarce, Coles has highlighted the strong availability of other seasonal fruits. Australian-grown citrus fruits remain in good supply, and Queensland's strawberry season is set to begin in late August.
This isn't the first fresh produce shortage in 2025. In May, broccoli became hard to find after floods in New South Wales. Cyclone Alfred and ongoing droughts in South Australia and Victoria also affected supply.In early July, Coles, Woolworths, and Aldi all confirmed limited availability of broccoli due to these extreme weather events.Coles said it continues to work closely with suppliers to restore stock levels and maintain value across other vegetables this winter.
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