Potato farmers in key Australian growing states say unless supermarkets add 20 cents per kilo to the shelf price of their produce, departures from the industry will be inevitable. Farmers across all sectors are grappling to absorb production price increases of 50 per cent and beyond brought on by global factors including the war in Ukraine and exponential surges in fuel, fertilizer and on-farm maintenance costs.
Abc.net.au reports that the current situation has prompted them to advocate for wholesale and supermarket buyers to consider an urgent price review. Potato farmers in the West Australian growing region of Busselton have begun a public awareness campaign to shore up public support as they push for supermarkets to add 20 cents a kilo to offset the spike in production costs.