Melbourne Wholesale Fruit and Veg Market Report – August 27th 2025
Here’s your weekly read on Melbourne’s wholesale fruit and veg scene. What’s in season, what’s moving, and what’s costing you more than it should.
From restaurants to childcare, our wholesale fruit and veg update keeps you ahead of the market.
✅ What’s Looking Good
Mangoes: The season has begun! KP’s and R2E2’s from Queensland are in. Prices are high (as always early on) but quality is promising.
Strawberries: Supply has improved with strong fruit from Queensland. There are cheaper options around, but they come with shorter shelf life and weaker quality.
Raspberries: Slightly better supply this week with excellent taste and quality. Still a little pricey but likely to ease soon.
Mandarins: Afourers are at their peak – juicy, sweet, and perfect for childcare and healthcare menus.
Stone Fruit: Imported nectarines and peaches have landed from the USA. They’re tasty but pricey, thanks to air freight.
Rockmelon & Honeydew: Coming in strong from the NT with excellent quality and great value.
Tomatoes: Queensland is flooding the market with excellent supply and value, with a trickle still from SA.
Chillies: Bullet chillies have finally eased in price with good availability, and the same goes for long red and green chillies. Habaneros and jalapeños are also on hand and reasonably priced, making it a great week for anyone chasing heat in the kitchen.
Artichokes: Fresh Victorian-grown artichokes are in. Prices are moderate for now, but we’re expecting them to ease further as more stock comes online.
Beans: Top quality and very affordable right now.
Brassicas: Broccoli and broccolini are still excellent value with great supply from Werribee South and Queensland.
Capsicums: Prices are low and quality is excellent. Plenty of good-quality seconds available too.
Wombok: Strong supply and very sharp pricing make this a great buy.
Asparagus: Australian-grown asparagus is back on the market. While slightly dearer than imports, the quality is noticeably better — a great pick if your menu can carry the cost. Imported stock will remain for 2–4 weeks, so double-check what you’re adding to your order.
🔻What’s in short supply
Apples: Supply is short and prices are up across all varieties, with Granny Smith and juicing apples especially scarce. Some growers are even pulling out trees (up to 700 at a time) to switch to more profitable crops. For childcare and aged care operators where apples are non-negotiable, we recommend our Red and Green Apple Value Range — the best-priced option available on the day. These are often Pink Lady or Dazzle apples, generally a little smaller or with minor imperfections, but still great tasting and excellent value.
Pears: Supply remains tight and prices are sitting above average. Bosc pears are still on the higher side, but if pears are non-negotiable, we do have some smaller-sized Pakenham fruit available. We’re also seeing good quality coming out of Shepparton, though we don’t recommend 2nds at the moment as they’re too heavily marked.
Blackberries: Extremely limited volumes with high prices. Availability is very hit-and-miss.
Potatoes & Processed Potato Products: Supply is tightening, with SA crops yielding up to 80% less than usual. This has already pushed prices up, and shortages are expected for at least 2 months. Peeled, diced, and sliced potato products are also rising in price as suppliers pay more to secure raw stock. Peeled potatoes may still be the most cost-effective option if your kitchen can use them.
Watermelon: Supply has tightened and prices are up, though quality remains strong for this time of year.
Mushrooms: Lower yields across the board have tightened supply and pushed prices up, but quality remains solid with stock from SA and Mernda. If you’re simply slicing mushrooms for sauces or pizzas, our 2.5 kg boxes of pre-sliced mushrooms offer excellent value — priced similarly to whole mushrooms while saving time and labour.
Eggplant: Quality is excellent, but prices are higher than usual for this time of year. We’re hoping more supply will come on shortly and prices will soften. In the meantime, consider substituting with zucchini or capsicum, which are currently excellent value.
Squash: Is available in the market. While prices high, they are within the average price range.
Looking for a wholesale fruit and veg supplier that keeps you in the loop and stocked with what’s best each week? Get in touch — or explore our seasonal produce guide to plan ahead.
