Fruit & Veg: Winter 2025
James Scarano from Fruiticilious says that we’re at the crossover between seasons so while there are no shortages, there isn’t necessarily an abundance of anything either.
“Coming in to autumn, you’ve got the usual winter veggies, like spinach, cauliflower, and broccoli, and citrus is coming in as well,” he says.
“We’re losing all the summer veggies and stone fruits.”
James warns that while things are relatively stable in the fruit and veg category at the moment, we’re yet to see the full effects of recent extreme weather in Queensland.
Fruit and Veg Summary
- Relatively stable
- Spinach, cauliflower, broccoli and citrus is coming in
- We haven’t yet seen the full effects of recent weather in Queensland
Poultry and Eggs: Winter 2025
Peter Glinellis from YCC Poultry says that another outbreak of bird flu in Melbourne and some instances of bird flu in NSW mean egg prices have jumped 15 percent.
“I’ve spoken with some people in the industry and normality and consistency of eggs will be 12 months away and prices are hard to predict,” he says.
“Chicken is different - it’s gone the other way. There’s a bit of stock going around - chicken prices are steady.”
As usual, when the seasons change, so do buying patterns and Peter has noticed that no one is buying wings anymore. “It’s not bbq season and there’s an abundance of wings on the market - fresh and frozen.”
“Thighs and Maryland start to tighten up as people want those pieces for winter dishes, and breast fillet around because it’s more popular in summer/hotter months
Chicken being a fresh commodity, prices fluctuate very often
Poultry and Egg Summary
- Egg prices are unstable and will be for another 12 months
- Chicken thighs and Maryland are in demand
- Chicken breast is less popular at this time of the year and may be cheaper
Seafood: Winter 2025
Adrian Jankuloski from Foodlink Australia says that the most important seafood update is the shortages of Hiramasa Kingfish. This farmed fish is popular in venues and restaurants around the country and is on allocation for the next 6-9 months.
“What this means is that the price of wild kingfish goes up, which makes things tight.”
For those looking for an alternative, Rocky Point Cobia, a farmed fish from Queensland, is a great alternative to kingfish. “It’s a farmed black kingfish and it’s an absolutely phenomenal product.”
Aside from kingfish, salmon and barramundi remain steady, and there is an abundance of pink snapper. “We've had some fantastic mahi mahi coming out of Coffs Harbour, and we've had wild jewfish and mulloway coming out of the Northern Territory...these are amazing to eat pan fried or oven baked.”
The supply of tuna is strong, and in early May/June, Southern Bluefin will start coming in and is attractive to a lot of high end venues. However, coral trout will be tight, but things will start flowing again once the weather cools down even more.
The octopus season is starting at this point as well. “We are always working with local fishermen to get the biggest size octopus,” says Adrian.
Seafood Summary
- Shortages of farmed Hiramasa
- kingfish, driving up the price of wild kingfish
- Rocky Point Cobia is a good alternative to Hiramasa kingfish
- Salmon and barramundi remain steady
- Abundance of pink snapper
- Supply of tuna is strong
- Octopus season is starting
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