It’s an unprecedented and very challenging time for buyers and growers due to extreme weather conditions and irregular season lengths.

At a time when we would normally be sourcing our produce from North Queensland, this has become unfeasible due to the flood crisis in the state, fuelled by La Niña weather patterns. It has been a devastating time for growers as they watch their crops decimated. 

In normal circumstances, we'd be six weeks into crop harvesting in Queensland, with plenty of good quality berries, beautiful beans and vibrant veggies available. It never usually rains at all this time of the year.

Our current stock is coming from Victoria and South Queensland where growing seasons are well and truly over as the weather is far too cold now for growing - the poor quality of stock can reduce shelf life by half. Hence why we normally source product from North Queensland this time of year, with its warmer climate for premium growing conditions. 

The situation means that produce, even of substandard quality, from Victoria and South Queensland is in limited supply. That, and intense competition for supply, has pushed prices through the roof.

What that means for Forestway Fresh is that in some cases we have no choice but to stock produce with a quality less than our usual high standard. 

And we may opt not to stock particular produce if we think it’s substandard. We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause, however we think that the disappointment of not having your favourite produce is better than paying high prices for highly perishable product.

We estimate this situation to continue for around 10 weeks, the length of time it would take Queensland growers to plant and pick new crops.

These are unprecedented times where we reluctantly ask our customers to lower their expectations when it comes to the quality of produce such is the dire situation.

But we want to assure you that we’re working extra hard to source the best possible produce for you and your family, dedicating seven days of market time to ensure this. That's the Forestway.

We thank you for your patience during this most challenging time.