Why Blueberries Are Missing from Aussie Supermarket Shelves
So, if you’ve been wandering through the fruit section at Coles or Woolworths lately and noticed that blueberries are either completely out or suddenly way more expensive—you're definitely not imagining things. There’s actually a nationwide blueberry shortage happening right now in Australia, and it's all thanks to our unpredictable weather.
It turns out blueberries have been hit hard by some seriously rough conditions this winter. Heavy rain and gloomy, overcast days across key growing regions—mainly from Coffs Harbour to Byron Bay—have made it really tough for farmers to grow and pick quality fruit. These little berries actually thrive in sunny, warmer weather, and when they don’t get enough of that, everything from growth to harvest gets thrown off.
At Coles, they even had to put up a customer notice about it, saying that the Australian-grown 125g punnets of blueberries might be temporarily unavailable. They blamed "extreme weather activity" in the growing areas, and yep, that’s pretty much the story across most supermarkets right now. Woolworths also chimed in with their own note, letting shoppers know they’re working closely with growers to bring supply levels back to normal.
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Because of all this, prices have jumped too. At one point, a small punnet was going for about $5 at Coles—though it's recently dipped slightly to $4.70. Woolies has them for around $4, and Aldi’s offering the most affordable option at $3.99. But even at those prices, actually finding them on shelves has been tricky, since demand is high and supply’s low.
A big part of the issue is that when it rains, farmers can’t pick the fruit—especially if it’s still wet—because that affects something called the “bloom.” That’s the natural, powdery coating you see on fresh blueberries. Without it, the berries look shiny, spoil faster, and lose that sweet, crisp flavour everyone loves.
And it’s not just blueberries feeling the pinch. Strawberries and other berries have been affected too. The rain’s been causing damage across the board, leading to more second-grade fruit hitting shelves—still edible, but not that perfect quality we’re used to.
Now, not all hope is lost. Coles and Woolworths are optimistic the situation will improve soon. In the meantime, Aussie shoppers are being encouraged to go for other in-season fruit—think mandarins, apples, and even imported US cherries that are currently tasting amazing.
There’s also a bit of relief coming from independent providers like Box Divvy, which connects families directly with growers. They’re offering punnets for as low as $3.50, or 3 for $9. That’s a pretty good deal considering supermarket prices right now.
So, if blueberries are a staple in your smoothies or lunchboxes, just hang in there. The season should start bouncing back around September. Until then, we might all need to lean a little more on oranges and apples to get our fruit fix.
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