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Lettuce has crossed the $10 mark, milk prices are soaring by major supermarkets and strawberries are $6 a punnet. Almost everywhere you look, the prices of food and other agricultural goods are on the rise. You’d be forgiven for thinking this must be a great time for Australian farmers, preferably gazing out the window at the gentle rain. Not too. Rising price Understanding what drives the price of any commodity can be a confusing exercise at the best of times. The current situation is generally caused by a number of problems, the first of which relates to the nature of Australia’s growing season. Australian vegetables come from different parts of the country depending on the season. Currently the main supplier is Queensland. Earlier this year, several developing areas were hit by two floods in 11 weeks. Queensland’s Lockyer Valley flooded earlier this year destroying large vegetable crops. ( Provided: Lockyer Valley Regional Council ) Belinda Frentz is a herb grower...

Winter coats are removed inside Tatura’s new multi-million dollar greenhouse. The temperature is 28 degrees Celsius and smells of 150,000 stems of tomato plants. Key points: Greenhouse tomato grower expands operations in Tatura A 6-hectare greenhouse will create 60 new jobs The company has been financially supported by the Victorian government The new six-hectare greenhouse will produce 4,000 tonnes of tomatoes per year and create 60 new jobs for the site. Flavorite chief executive Mike Nichol said, due to high demand for the product, the company will expand in four Victoria locations. “We have one here in Tatura, one in Katunga, Mansfield and our base in Warragul,” he said. “Warragul is the biggest at the moment, but in Katunga we have room for another 30 hectares. “We have space to house three other greenhouses in Tatura as well as a very large packing warehouse, which allows us to ship products directly from here.” The company grows tomatoes, cucu...