Price of fruit and vegetables set to rise after Queensland storm

The cost of popular vegetables is expected to climb right before Christmas after a freak storm devastated farms in Queensland‘s Lockyer Valley.

The crop damage has devastated farmers, with losses estimated to be millions of dollars, according to Lockyer Valley Growers president Michael Sippel.

“We think in the vicinity of $30 million in crop losses and that’s growing by the day,” Sippel said.

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Heidi Steffen’s farm is one of about 35 impacted by a freak tornado-like storm that tore through the region on Friday afternoon.

The severe weather has left a tangled mess of metal and greenhouse roofing near the family’s eggplant crop.

“We were probably seven weeks off finishing, so we were at the tail end of the season,” Steffen said.

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Steffen’s lush green vines of chokos were also ready to harvest.

“The chokos I was going to start picking yesterday,” she said.

“Obviously I can’t even find where a choko has gone.”

The loss of produce in one of the state’s key food bowls is expected to have an impact on shoppers.

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The cost of broccolini in particular expected to rise right before Christmas.

The government said it is offering assistance loans for emergency repairs but farmers in the region have called for support.

“We’ll get through it, we’ll move on but some sort of assistance would be great,” Steffen said.