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Farmers warn that floods will further increase food prices as floods destroy supply by flooding.
According to the Prime Minister, Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) suffered a fourth major flood this year, with 85,000 people ordered to evacuate.
New South Wales Prime Minister Dominic Perrott told reporters on July 6 that there were 108 evacuation orders and 56 evacuation warnings across the state, affecting 50,000 more people than the day before. ..
Flood Recovery Minister Steph Cooke warned residents not to return home before the green light from the State Emergency Service (SES).
“It may be fascinating for people to go home, but we really want you to respect those evacuation orders,” Cook said. “There is a reason they are properly placed.”
Carlene York, SES Commissioner of New South Wales, warned the residents of the homes who survived the flood earlier this year to be dissatisfied.
“Just arriving at the front door in the last flood does not mean that we will not escalate overnight,” she told reporters on July 3, adding that the dam’s capacity is over 100%. I did.
In addition, York warned that there was a large amount of water in the river system and that in other areas it was raining heavily to bring flash floods.
The commissioner also cautioned residents in dangerous areas to have a battery-powered radio in case of a power outage.
Continued shortage of agricultural products
Farmers warn that recent weather events could put further pressure on living costs through additional food inflation.
Producers have renewed concerns about the food supply chain that consumers have already seen through rising prices and supply shortages in grocery shelves.
Farms in the Sydney Basin have been hit hardest, with extensive flooding putting heavy pressure on farms in Hawkesbury, Nepean and Hunter Valleys.
Previously, the surge in the supply of vegetables such as lettuce forced KFC to offer a mix of lettuce and cabbage for burgers and wraps.
Ash Salardini, an economist at the National Farmers Federation, told Newscorp that the surge in demand for cabbage, along with other regional factors, could have helped boost overall food costs.
“When lettuce was high, people started using cabbage, and that’s why prices went up,” he said.
“Also, food is seasonal. At this time, it’s a good season in northern New South Wales and Queensland, but it’s too cold in Victoria, and floods and other labor disruptions limit supply. . “
Meanwhile, some consumers have tried to save money by breaking broccoli stalks. Broccoli prices reached nearly $ 12 per kilogram (US $ 3.70 per pound) at the beginning of July.
Broccoli soaring is attributed to supply shortages, especially caused by the turmoil in Queensland after the March floods.
The impact is much greater than the obvious
Aside from imminent consequences such as crop loss, heavy rains will cause far greater problems in the coming months, said Warren Wadel, Sydney Gardening Secretary, Farmers Greater, New South Wales.
“If we can’t harvest the crops damaged by this season’s floods, we won’t be able to harvest next year,” he says. Said 2GB radio. “So it’s a double pain.”
As a fruit producer, Wadel said the floods caused serious root rot in the fruit trees and the disease was flourishing.
“”[Diseases are] Difficult to control … not 4 or 5 days [after the rain stops] You can access the orchards to protect them from the disease, “he said. “You’re talking a few months before you can get to the solid ground again, so you’re just being cornered.”
Despite the challenges, Mr. Wadel said the agricultural community is an unfamiliar community.
“Historically, farmers are very resilient. They work in average scenarios,” he said. “Producers and others have a formula in terms of how many years of drought they can withstand.”
But he said there was “no doubt” that farmers were actually being tested this year, as the number of challenges they faced was “above average.”
Moreover, unlike other challenges, there is little that can be done to stop rainfall.
“When it comes to pest control and pests, we can take a step forward. There are steps we can take in our infrastructure. In times of drought, we can take steps to save water,” Wadel said. increase.
PM was criticized
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Shadow Finance Minister Angus Taylor that he was “concerned about his reputation” on the world stage rather than “securing a place for New South Wales people to sleep.” It has been criticized.
In 2019, former Prime Minister Morrison was accused of going on vacation while the country was facing a major wildfire.
However, Albanese “made the actual scene” of Morrison’s reaction to the 2019-20 wildfire, but he “did not even get a phone,” Taylor said.
Albanese returned from Europe to Australia on the night of July 5 after visiting NATO summits, Ukraine and others.
The Premier of New South Wales did not increase criticism, saying he called as soon as possible.
Perotet joined Albanese on July 6th to tour the flood-affected areas.
Steve Milne, Henry Jom, and Nina Nguyen contributed to this report.
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Rebecca Zhu is based in Sydney. She focuses on Australian and New Zealand national affairs. Do you have a hint? Contact her at [email protected].
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