Fresh Produce Report 8 August

Winter weather conditions have continued to affect most vegetable supplies with beans, pumpkin and shallots their most expensive all year and broccoli, snow peas, capsicum, corn and cauliflower prices on the rise.

Asian vegetables, cabbage, celery, eggplant, silverbeet and spinach have been in short supply so are medium to firm in price.

There are still some bargains available with potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, fennel, beetroot and brussels sprouts of great quality. Zucchinis are easing in price.

Green leafy salad items like lettuce and mixed leaf bags are expensive.  Most cucumber, avocado and tomato categories are also harder to source in the cooler conditions so are medium to expensive in price.

There are still some great fruit bargains on offer with quality apples, pears, and Queensland strawberries at their best.

It’s been a good citrus season with a variety of mandarins and oranges to choose from, low cost lemons and grapefruit, seville oranges, tangelos and cumquats still available. However, limes remain harder to find and are expensive.

Blueberries and raspberries are expensive, as are bananas, papaw, rockmelon, honeydew, and seedless watermelons, with all melon categories of mixed quality.

There are some Australian kiwifruit on the shelves with the gold variety the best easting.  There are also some Australian grapes on offer, so look for “Product of Australia” labeling on menindee seedless, black and crimson grape varieties.