Cabbage at South Brisbane Fruit Barn supermarket sells for $18

Shoppers are horrified to discover a head of cabbage on sale for $18 at a suburban supermarket: ‘You’ve got to really like cabbage’

  • A fruit and vegetable market in Brisbane is selling cabbages for $17.99 a head
  • The price of cabbage in Queensland has risen in response to crop shortages 
  • Cabbages are largely unavailable online at Woolworths and cost $8.90 each
  • A lettuce shortage in June left fast food relying on cabbages to make salads

A shopper was left in disbelief after seeing their local fruit and veggie market selling cabbages for $17.99 a head.

The shocked customer found the pricey greenery at Tarragindi Fruit Barn in Brisbane‘s south on Tuesday as inflation continues to surge across Australia.

Recent flooding on the east coast of Australia damaging crops, coupled with rising fuel costs triggered by Russia’s bloody invasion of Ukraine, have sent Australia’s cost of living soaring and green vegetables are among the hardest hit products.

A customer at Tarragindi Fruit Barn in Brisbane’s south found cabbages selling for $17.99 a head (above)

Unfortunately, the price jump isn’t restricted to small businesses with major grocers Coles and Woolworths also in the midst of a cabbage crisis.

Half cabbages at Coles will set you back $3.90 while mini varieties cost $6.50.

Savoy cabbages listed as the only cabbage variety available at Woolworths with a whole head costing $8.90.

Commenters on Twitter were appalled by the steep asking price at the Brisbane grocer.

Tarragindi Fruit Barn (above) is one of many Queensland grocers forced to mark up prices on their cabbages in response to a crop shortage

Tarragindi Fruit Barn (above) is one of many Queensland grocers forced to mark up prices on their cabbages in response to a crop shortage

‘Is anyone actually making money at these prices? You’ve got to really like cabbage to be paying $18!,’ one person wrote. 

‘First the lettuce was too expensive and in short supply, so it was supplemented with cabbage. Now cabbage is expensive and in short supply. So what will cabbage be replaced with?,’ another said.

‘Leaves from the trees next door,’ a third wrote.

The cabbage shortage follows a lettuce shortfall in June that saw customers reporting leafy greens costing a whopping $12 a head

The cabbage shortage follows a lettuce shortfall in June that saw customers reporting leafy greens costing a whopping $12 a head

The news comes just months after Australia’s lettuce shortage created controversy among fast-food lovers as restaurants added cabbage to salad mixes to keep prices down. 

In the middle of the salad debate, customers reported finding lettuces marked up to $12 at their local grocers.

Fortunately, lettuce has returned to a more reasonable price with Coles and Woolworths both offering whole Iceberg varieties for $6.20.

Collins Foods, KFC’s operator, chief executive Drew O’Malley confirmed last week that cabbage will be phased out the brand’s salads by Spring.