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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Lifestyle
Cait Kelly

Why does this iceberg lettuce cost $11.99 and how long will Australia’s high vegetable prices last?

man shopping for vegetables
The latest Consumer Price Index figures show a 12.7% year on year increase in the cost of vegetables, with grocery shoppers across Australia seeing major price hikes across the board. Photograph: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

A Queensland shopper this week spotted iceberg lettuce selling at a supermarket for $11.99. The photo quickly went viral as evidence of the cost-of-living pressures Australians are facing.

Iceberg lettuce previously cost about $2.80 each, making it somewhat of an infamous star of inflation. So what has caused the price of the humble vegetable and other fresh produce to rise so sharply, and how long will the high prices last?

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