Supermarkets Face Nationwide Banana Shortage Amid Cold Weather and Freight Costs
A nationwide banana shortage has stripped supermarket shelves bare across Coles, Woolworths, and Aldi stores in Australia, leaving shoppers facing purchase limits and empty displays. Unusually prolonged cool spring temperatures in Far North Queensland have slowed crop growth, limiting fruit supplies to southern capitals.
Supermarket chains have placed notices in stores and online to address the missing stock. Coles issued a customer notice stating that banana variety may vary due to challenging growing conditions. Woolworths provided more detail in its customer advisories, pointing to regional weather patterns.
“Weather in Far North Queensland has slowed banana growth, limiting stock,” Woolworths stated in its customer notice. “We are working with growers to restore normal supply. We apologise for any inconvenience.”
Locations in Geelong and Melbourne have experienced severe supply disruptions, with some stores completely devoid of bananas. Other branches display smaller quantities with a greener appearance that requires a longer ripening period.
Supply Chain Concentration and Freight Pressures
Approximately 95 percent of Australia’s commercial banana supply is grown in Far North Queensland. Production is heavily concentrated around the Cassowary Coast and Atherton Tablelands regions, including Tully, Innisfail, and Mareeba.
Bananas require high heat and tropical humidity to reach a harvestable size. The prolonged cool spring temperatures across these northern farming districts delayed crop development.
Transportation expenses have exacerbated the supply crunch. Every box of bananas travels thousands of kilometres by refrigerated road or rail freight to reach southern markets. High diesel prices added millions of dollars in weekly regional transport surcharges across the agricultural supply chain. These freight costs reportedly led some growers to delay transporting lower-yield harvests.
The heavy reliance on a single geographic region drew industry warnings earlier in the year. Paul Shoker, a Cavendish banana grower at Shoker Family Farm, noted the vulnerability during a supply overhaul.
“Ninety-five per cent of all bananas grow in North Queensland, so that’s a huge risk for the business,” Shoker told nine.com.au.
The warning followed Coles’ decision to end its partnership with Coffs Harbour fruit and vegetable wholesaler Golden Dawn to centralise its supply chains. That transition meant Coles would source its bananas solely from northern Queensland growers by the end of October.
Coles defended the procurement shift.
“Coles will continue to supply 100 per cent of its bananas from Australian growers,” the company stated. “This decision is part of a broader change to Coles’ fresh produce supply model. As part of that change, we are transitioning away from direct-to-store produce arrangements and towards a more consistent operating model across our store network.”
Expected Recovery Timeline for Australian Crops
Banana supplies are projected to improve over the next two to four weeks as seasonal temperatures rise. Industry expectations point to a full return to normal capacity by late November.
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