Lockyer Valley lettuce farmers devastated by a sequence of natural disasters are in dire need of a multi-million-dollar relief package to prevent them leaving the industry, the peak horticulture group has warned.
Growcom acting chief executive Richard Shannon said some lettuce farmers had lost their third crop in a row, risking the collapse of their business after February's floods and months of unseasonable rain.
It has led to iceberg lettuce prices in major supermarkets climbing to up to $12 each, while other fresh vegetables are still retailing at high prices after months of shortages and severe weather.
Fast food company KFC has also told customers to expect a mixture of lettuce and cabbage in its products due to ongoing supply shortages caused by floods in Queensland and NSW.
"We are a little bit cautious about drawing a direct line between any one natural disaster and increased prices and effects in the grocery aisle, but that is the case this time around," Mr Shannon told ABC Radio Brisbane.
Calls for funding package
Growcom is calling on the state and federal governments to develop a "generous" relief package to support farmers, similar in scale to the relief package offered north-western beef producers after the 2019 floods.
The impact of south-east Queensland's wet weather on local economies was similar to that disastrous monsoon, Mr Shannon said, which carried a $2 billion damage bill and killed thousands of cattle.
"[Lettuce growers] haven't been able to get in to harvest and, where they have, they've only found a small portion of the crop being market-ready, not affected by diseases," Mr Shannon said.
"It's been a devastating time out in the Lockyer Valley for lettuce growers and other growers around the state [and] northern NSW."
Fears for farmers
In the Lockyer Valley, Mr Shannon said Growcom was concerned about the flow-on effects of farmers shutting up shop on local communities.
"It's a really tough time. It's a devastating time out in the Lockyer Valley.
"For those towns out there, Laidley and Gatton, they rely on the horticulture industry [for] the jobs that we provide.
"They're the lifeblood of those particular communities and economies."
Crops on the Sunshine Coast such as pineapple and strawberries, and as far north as Bowen where tomatoes and capsicums are grown, have also been hard-hit by Queensland's unseasonably wet autumn.
Queensland Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said disaster assistance had been made available under "long-standing federal-state disaster funding arrangements".
"Queensland has introduced an online survey for producers to help in speeding up the timeframe for making the required damage assessments to ensure this assistance is made available," Mr Furner said.
"Primary producers outside the declared disaster regions can apply for an individual disaster-stricken property declaration and also access assistance."
