Latest news with #HerbiesSpices
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Concerning reason $5 Aussie pantry staple is about to jump in price
Step into any supermarket and you can buy a grinder full of black pepper for less than $5. But the household staple is set to become more scarce over the next 18 months, and while Aussies won't have any problem finding it on shelves, prices are already increasing for wholesalers. Ian Hemphill, the founder of the iconic Aussie brand Herbie's Spices, is paying 20 per cent more for pepper than he was five months ago. But it's a problem he expects to see with the various spices he purchases because they are agricultural commodities that can be impacted by the weather. A key reason for the price increase is a lack of rain where the crop is primarily harvested — India, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. 'The main thing that will affect pepper is when you get a poor monsoon,' Hemphill told Yahoo News. 'When you get a good monsoon, you'll have a spike of green pepper corns that look like a luscious bunch of grapes, but when it's poor, you have fewer berries forming.' Related: Pepper grinders sold at supermarkets have major problem There have always been fluctuations in the spice trade, which merchants lovingly refer to as the 'world's second oldest profession'. In the late 1990s, vanilla plantations in Madagascar were hit with severe storms, and the farm-gate price jumped by 1,300 per cent over two years. Experts at the independent think tank, the Climate Council, expect consumers in Australia to face more fluctuations in grocery prices as the climate continues to warm and traditional weather patterns destabilise. Its economist Nicki Hutley predicts significant and permanent increases in costs as weather patterns change. This could mean growing more crops in hothouses, embracing lab-grown meat, or raising animals in sheds rather than paddocks. 'We're going to have to get smarter around farming. But this doesn't necessarily mean groceries will be cheaper, in fact it will be the opposite,' she said. 'We'll still get a lot of volatility. You can't grow everything in a greenhouse at the scale we need.' Extreme weather events are a constant around the world. After the March floods, Queensland alone is believed to have lost more than 100,000 head of livestock. At the same time, parts of Victoria, NSW, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania are experiencing record-breaking drought, forcing farmers to hand-feed their animals with hay and grains, which are surging in price. Sadly, the problem is set to get worse. Countries like Australia and the United States are continuing to extract fossil fuels from the ground. Australia just approved an extension of its second-largest fossil fuel project in history, the North-West Shelf, which is set to release billions of tonnes of carbon-like emissions into the atmosphere over its lifetime. The world could reach 2 degrees of warming above pre-industrial levels in just 15 years, making droughts, floods and cyclones more severe and frequent than they are today. 💰 Woolworths responds to glaring pricing issue as Aussie neighbour loses out 🛒 Coles, Woolworths, Aldi reveal fate of 11,000 tonnes of soft plastics 🚨 281 experts call for ban of 'toxic' product sold at Coles, Bunnings, Woolworths, Mitre 10 But there are other factors also expected to contribute to price fluctuations. Pepper continues to be the world's most traded and consumed spice, and demand remains constant. Despite technology advances in other farming sectors like viticulture and wheat, pepper continues to be mostly picked by hand. And in the long-term, Hemphill believes its price will be impacted by increasing labour costs. Other price influences will be harder to predict. For instance, Hemphill has seen a surge of interest in pepper because it's a key ingredient in turmeric, a power that's been embraced as a popular health drink in Australia. Another factor that doesn't affect the farm-gate price but increases the cost to merchants is shipping. Due to recent conflict in the Middle East, the price of importing a container to Australia has more than doubled. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cost of household staple that increased 20 per cent set to jump again
Step into any supermarket and you can buy a grinder full of black pepper for less than $5. But the household staple is set to become more scarce over the next 18 months, and while Aussies won't have any problem finding it on shelves, prices are already increasing for wholesalers. Ian Hemphill, the founder of the iconic Aussie brand Herbie's Spices, is paying 20 per cent more for pepper than he was five months ago. But it's a problem he expects to see with the various spices he purchases because they are agricultural commodities that can be impacted by the weather. A key reason for the price increase is a lack of rain where the crop is primarily harvested — India, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. 'The main thing that will affect pepper is when you get a poor monsoon,' Hemphill told Yahoo News. 'When you get a good monsoon, you'll have a spike of green pepper corns that look like a luscious bunch of grapes, but when it's poor, you have fewer berries forming.' Related: Pepper grinders sold at supermarkets have major problem There have always been fluctuations in the spice trade, which merchants lovingly refer to as the 'world's second oldest profession'. In the late 1990s, vanilla plantations in Madagascar were hit with severe storms, and the farm-gate price jumped by 1,300 per cent over two years. Experts at the independent think tank, the Climate Council, expect consumers in Australia to face more fluctuations in grocery prices as the climate continues to warm and traditional weather patterns destabilise. Its economist Nicki Hutley predicts significant and permanent increases in costs as weather patterns change. This could mean growing more crops in hothouses, embracing lab-grown meat, or raising animals in sheds rather than paddocks. 'We're going to have to get smarter around farming. But this doesn't necessarily mean groceries will be cheaper, in fact it will be the opposite,' she said. 'We'll still get a lot of volatility. You can't grow everything in a greenhouse at the scale we need.' Extreme weather events are a constant around the world. After the March floods, Queensland alone is believed to have lost more than 100,000 head of livestock. At the same time, parts of Victoria, NSW, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania are experiencing record-breaking drought, forcing farmers to hand-feed their animals with hay and grains, which are surging in price. Sadly, the problem is set to get worse. Countries like Australia and the United States are continuing to extract fossil fuels from the ground. Australia just approved an extension of its second-largest fossil fuel project in history, the North-West Shelf, which is set to release billions of tonnes of carbon-like emissions into the atmosphere over its lifetime. The world could reach 2 degrees of warming above pre-industrial levels in just 15 years, making droughts, floods and cyclones more severe and frequent than they are today. 💰 Woolworths responds to glaring pricing issue as Aussie neighbour loses out 🛒 Coles, Woolworths, Aldi reveal fate of 11,000 tonnes of soft plastics 🚨 281 experts call for ban of 'toxic' product sold at Coles, Bunnings, Woolworths, Mitre 10 But there are other factors also expected to contribute to price fluctuations. Pepper continues to be the world's most traded and consumed spice, and demand remains constant. Despite technology advances in other farming sectors like viticulture and wheat, pepper continues to be mostly picked by hand. And in the long-term, Hemphill believes its price will be impacted by increasing labour costs. Other price influences will be harder to predict. For instance, Hemphill has seen a surge of interest in pepper because it's a key ingredient in turmeric, a power that's been embraced as a popular health drink in Australia. Another factor that doesn't affect the farm-gate price but increases the cost to merchants is shipping. Due to recent conflict in the Middle East, the price of importing a container to Australia has more than doubled. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Popular Australian supermarket staple at risk of global shortage - as shoppers brace for price hikes
Australians may soon be paying significantly more for black pepper as a global shortage threatens supermarket stocks. Industry experts are raising the alarm over the declining supplies, with poor weather conditions in key producing countries blamed for the crunch. A disappointing monsoon season across parts of Asia, where the bulk of the world's pepper is grown, has left crops underperforming, triggering concerns about future availability and price spikes. However, FEMAIL understands Aussie Coles and Woolworths currently have enough supply and no immediate concerns have been identified. 'Currently peppercorn prices are high due to lower crop yields in most tropical countries where pepper is grown,' Iah Hemphill, Managing Director of Australian spice company Herbie's Spices told FEMAIL. 'The flowers on pepper vines are naturally pollinated during the monsoon as water runs down the hermaphrodite flowers and fertilises them. 'Poor monsoons due to climate change mean less pollination and thus lower quantities of berries on each spike. Like all agricultural commodities, lower yields lead to higher prices.' Mr Hemphill explained that prices are expected to remain high until the next monsoon which will be between June and September in India and most tropical pepper producing countries. 'Given the time for harvesting, drying and marketing, then exporting, it will be unlikely to see prices coming down until early 2026. That of course assumes a good monsoon and a lack of global unrest!' he added. The International Pepper Community (IPC) has reported that global black pepper production is now 11 per cent lower than in 2020, pointing to a mix of extreme weather events and reduced investment in pepper farming. While some recovery efforts are underway in regions of India, including Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, analysts suggest any relief to the global supply chain is unlikely to be felt in the immediate future. Vietnam, the world's largest producer of black pepper, has already seen export prices surge to as much as USD $6.20 (AUD $9.54) per kilo - a dramatic 43 per cent jump from early 2023 levels. Closer to home, limited black pepper is grown in Far North Queensland, but not nearly enough to offset the global squeeze. But weather is not the only reason for the price hikes. 'Another possible cause of the increase in demand, and hence prices, may be a higher demand from manufacturers of turmeric supplements (anti-inflammatory). 'That is because the piperine in black pepper makes the curcumin in turmeric more bio-active,' said Mr Hemphill. 'There is no real substitute for the flavour of pepper, however consumers often find chilli powder to be a cheaper and definitely flavourful alternative.' In the meantime, shoppers looking to stock up without breaking the bank can still find budget-friendly options at their local supermarkets. Both Coles and Woolworths are offering refill bags of whole black peppercorns for $2.25 per 100g - though how long those prices will hold remains to be seen. Aldi shoppers can pick up 50g of black pepper in a grinder for $3.69. With pepper being a staple in most kitchens, Aussies are being urged to keep an eye on availability and consider stocking up (sensibly) before prices spike further.
