Growers believe they've become a victim of changing consumer patterns due to the pandemic, and that online orders for fruit that arrive damaged on doorsteps is hurting their reputation.
The banana industry says online grocery shopping is killing off the once undisputed king of Australia's fruit bowl.They say bad fruit being delivered to homes is contributing to the problemThe Banana Growers' Council has launched two new campaigns, asking consumers to "buy a nana for a farmer", as the sector grapples with a 20 per cent drop in sales, labour shortages and a rise in production costs.
He said fruit arriving damaged on doorsteps as well as the online shopping system to pay per banana rather than by weight were contributing to a decline in sales."We were putting out 500,000 bananas a week two years ago; now that's down to 400,000," Mr Lowe said."The buying pattern has changed, there's more online sales and not as many visits to stores."
Innisfail grower Dean Stinton, a third-generation farmer, also attributed the lack of demand partly due to bad fruit being delivered to homes via online shopping. Mr Stinton said high fuel prices and the cost of production — he used to pay $800 for a tonne of fertiliser but is now paying $1,800 — was also impacting his bottom line.