Fruit and vegetable prices to skyrocket after Cyclone Debbie

The price of some of the post popular fruit and vegetables on the market are expected to rise after Cyclone Debbie wiped out crops in North Queensland.

Debbie hit the region with record-breaking winds yesterday, damaging crops and months of hard labor by local farmers.

Fairfax reports capsicum and tomato crops were particularly hard hit, copping the brunt of the storm’s force in Bowen. The area provides 95 per cent of Australia’s winter supply of tomatoes and capsicums.

Cherry Emerick of the Bowen Gumlu Growers Association told Fairfax damaged phone lines in the area meant she hadn’t been able to confirm the extent of the impact yet.

“It’s more than likely there’s been some damage to infrastructure, damage to packing sheds, and I’d say definitely to crop as well,” she said.

“Planting was at the end of February, so I would say the plants wouldn’t have fared very well.

“They’d be very lucky if they’ve still got plastic (ground sheets) in the ground. Anyone that had stakes up for their tomatoes, they’d be down as well.”

With the majority of the tomato and capsicum crops damaged, supply would be short this year, driving prices up across the board.

The price of bananas skyrocketed in 2011 after Cyclone Yasi wiped out crops in the region, but local growers escaped the eye of the storm this time.

Would you stop buying buying tomatoes and capsicums if prices went up? Do you remember when bananas cost a small fortune after Yasi? Have you been following the news on Cyclone Debbie?