Fuel tax cut urged to avoid fruit 'rotting on trees'

The rising cost of fuel could put pressure on producers and lead to stock shortages at supermarkets. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)

Fruit grown for supermarket sale could rot on trees unless the government tackles soaring prices as some regional areas face their worst petrol and diesel shortages in decades.

Federal officials are under growing pressure to slash the fuel excise - the roughly 50-cent-a-litre tax levied on petrol and diesel.