AU: Fruit and vegies price dump encouraging healthy eating

Potatoes are cheap as chips, bananas have returned to appealing prices and buying a kilo of tomatoes won’t make you see red. The cost of fruit and vegetables has plunged in the northern suburbs, but some Darebin shopkeepers say residents have failed to catch on, still preferring junk food that has gradually increased in price. Broadway Fresh Fruit and Vegetables proprietor Frank Gallicchio (pictured) said many shoppers were unaware of the plunge in prices and were still slow to buy fresh produce. “The price of a lot of junk food has gone through the roof, but you can feed the family on fruit and vegetables very cheaply now,” Mr Gallicchio said. Compared with 12 months ago, fresh produce such as bananas, stone fruit, potatoes and apples have plunged in price. “Bananas were up to $16 a kilo 12 months ago, but now they’re about $1.40 and a year ago cherries were $35 a kilo, but you can get a kilo for around $12 now,” he said.

Fairfield fruiterer Domenic Biviano said demand was down despite an incredible price drop across the board in the past year. Mr Biviano attributed the low prices to a bumper growing season and an oversupply in a market where people were cautious about spending. “Vegetables are down by 15 per cent, with cauliflower down to $1.40 each - less than half of what it was,” Mr Biviano said. His Station St business sells potato chips, which he said had gone up in price during the past 12 months. “A 75g pack of chips costs $3.20, but potatoes are only 99c a kilo. “You could make a lot of chips out of that,” Mr Biviano said. Australian Medical Association Victoria president Harry Hemley said he hoped the fall in prices would encourage people to eat more of them. “Too often people eat junk and snack foods because they are cheap and accessible,” Dr Hemley said. A healthy diet comprised two daily serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables, with nutritious foods such as nuts, legumes, lean meat, fish and low-fat dairy products, he said.

Source: whereilive.com.au