Queensland cool weather slows banana output, hitting Australian lunchboxes

A shortage of bananas has hit Australian supermarket shelves due to cool weather in key Queensland growing regions, severely slowing production. Major retailers like Coles, Woolworths, and Aldi are reporting limited displays or green stock. Anton van den Berg, co-founder of grocery delivery service Box Divvy, noted that demand for bananas has remained high, as supermarkets typically keep prices below A$5 a kilo to avoid deterring shoppers. Woolworths confirmed the supply issue in a note to customers, attributing it to weather in far north Queensland. Bananas are Australia's most frequently bought fruit, with almost nine in 10 households regularly purchasing them. Unseasonably hot weather has also impacted apple production, compounding the squeeze on popular fruits. While other countries face banana supply strains due to factors like high transport fuel costs, Australia grows all its own bananas domestically. The Australian Banana Growers’ Council expects the shortage to be short-lived as temperatures rise across affected regions. In the meantime, prices for stone fruit are anticipated to fall, and mango prices are already decreasing.