Watermelons are one of the most popular fruits in Australia and are enjoyed by people of all ages. However, recent pricing tags at major supermarkets have suggested that the price of watermelons has increased significantly in Australia, with the cost of watermelons hitting prices of up to $34 at one major supermarket.
At Woolworths stores, you can buy a whole melon for $34, or $3.90/kg. However, at Coles, you can get a whole 8kg fruit for $28, which averages around $3.50/kg.
Watermelons are a refreshing fruit that is enjoyed by many Australians during the summer months. However, the recent hot weather and lack of rain have caused the price of watermelons to increase.
There are a number of factors that have contributed to the increase in the price of watermelons in Australia.
One of the main reasons is the cost of production. Watermelons are a labour-intensive crop, with each fruit requiring around 24 hours of manual labour to harvest. This is one of the reasons why watermelons are typically more expensive than other fruits.
A Woolworths spokesman told NCA NewsWire the sudden price hike is due to bad weather in the country, which led to disruption in supply and demand.
“We pay farmers the market price for their produce, which can vary throughout the year due to weather, seasonality, supply, and demand,” they said.
“Currently, we’re paying a lot more to our suppliers for watermelon due to the reduced supply in the market and ongoing bad weather in key growing regions.”
Further, the spokesman clarified that watermelons are not in season and that’s why there is the unavailability of the fruit.
In Australia, the peak growing season is from December to May, so the chances are the prices will fall down in the coming warmer months.
Overall, the increase in the price of the fruit is likely to continue in the short-term, as the underlying factors are driving up prices, but will likely to change in the coming months.
