eBay vendors are taking advantage of desperate Australians in search of beetroot amid a national scarcity of the vegetable.
Inflated listings for beetroot cans have emerged on eBay, with one seller pricing a single 425g tin of Edgell sliced beetroot at a staggering $65.78. Another seller offers an 850g tin of Golden Circle whole baby beetroots for $39.09, forcing customers to weigh their options between splurging or going without.
The soaring prices coincide with empty shelves caused by a national beetroot shortage following the destruction of the New Zealand-based Golden Circle cannery by Cyclone Gabrielle last year. Had the cannery remained in Brisbane, where it was situated before Kraft Heinz’s acquisition of Golden Circle in 2008, the cyclone might not have exacerbated the situation.
To prevent future shortages, a spokesperson for AUSVEG, the peak body for Australian vegetable and potato industries, emphasised the importance of focusing on Australian-grown vegetables. They stressed the resilience of Australia’s national vegetable supply, highlighting its capability to produce most commodities year-round, mitigating short-term supply reductions due to weather events or other factors.
Kraft Heinz reassured customers that while the cyclone affected many crops, including beetroot, they could anticipate a return of their burger staple to shelves in the coming weeks, with supply gradually returning to normal over the next few months.
