Australian households have been given a dire cost-of-living warning, with 34 per cent of Australian vegetable growers considering leaving the industry in the next 12 months.

Peak group AUSVEG’s latest Vegetable Industry Sentiment Report also shows 50 per cent of growers are financially worse off than they were in June 2023, with Nationals Leader David Littleproud saying if farmers leave the industry, supply will go down and prices will go up.

He says Families have cut back on discretionary spending but they still need to buy food and that every single Australian would be impacted by a farmer exodus, as operating challenges threaten the viability of growers, risking an increase in prices at the check-out.

Mr Littleproud says that with recent changes to industry impacting farmers such as rising labour costs according to the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme, the 88-day backpacker rule and poor retail pricing resulting in lack of operating profit, the only way to support the agriculture industry is to change government.