Woolies photo reveals food crisis

Sharing a photo of a small supermarket store in a Woolworths, her selection of pantry and household essentials cost her almost $85.

“It was $84.90 without the milk (which didn’t scan),” the Reddit user wrote, sharing a photo of his meager supermarket store.

His shop featured items that most households are familiar with. Also displaying his receipt, other items included Listerine ($11 for 1 litre), two packets of Spaghettini Barilla ($5.40 or $2.70 each) and Lurpak butter spread ($6.50).

Surprisingly, one of the most expensive items in his shop was the 1.2 kg of tomatoes he bought, which cost $9.90 per kg and came to $12.20 in total. He also bought a dozen extra large 800g eggs from Farmer Rods for $10.

Despite this, some comments on her post pointed out that the price of the store was likely increased due to some of the more premium products on her cart. For example, “gourmet tomatoes” would likely have been a more expensive choice than a cheaper variety. The type of extra large eggs he chose from the Farmer Rods brand were also more expensive than Woolworth’s house range which cost $4.90.

However, he justifies his slightly more expensive purchases: “I know, I just have a preference for better quality ingredients where I can get them and compare fresh tomatoes with canned apples and oranges”.

The Reddit user also wrote that while some of the products may have been more expensive, none of the products he purchased could be considered a premium or lavish purchase.

“I have to be honest, other than a few eggs which are more ethical and some butter which is about a dollar more than the norm, what is luxury in this basket? The tomato pesto? It was at half price and only 25c more than the Woolworths brand of a similar product,” he wrote.

“Nivea soap was all that was left in the cleaned island other than goat’s milk soap which I’m not really in the market for. Mozzarella is the cheapest fresh option and pasta is in the middle of the road in terms of cost.

He also said that products at the supermarket have increased significantly over the past few months.

“I know there are cheaper options. I haven’t changed what I’m buying and it’s way more expensive than before and that’s the point of it all.

According to Consumer price index, between the March quarter of 2021 and 2022, the cost of food and non-alcoholic beverages alone increased by 4.3%. The most significant increase was in the cost of fuel, which increased by 11%.

Regarding groceries, the CPI revealed that the cost of fruits and vegetables increased by 6.7% over the last year, while meat and seafood increased by 6, 2%. Bread and cereal products also increased by 3 percent, dairy and related products by 4.1 percent and food products by 4.2 percent.

Closely related, the cost of household non-durables like toilet paper, dish soap and light bulbs rose 8% year over year.

Like rising gas and electricity prices, a perfect storm of factors also caused food prices are soaring. Contributing to around 25% of the world’s wheat supply, Ukraine, the Ukrainian war has devastated its production. Failed harvests in India have also seen the country implement an export ban.

The soaring fertilizer prices due to supply chain issues in China could also cause more problems for future seasons, with lower yields being a big concern.

Last week, agriculture expert David Williams predicted the cost of food could continue to rise by 10% due to “Covid-related effects alone”.

“Major one-time increases in grain costs will cause feed inflation and increase the cost of animal feed and therefore beef and other proteins,” he said. The Australian.

At the end of May, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, stressed that food security was a pressing concern.

“We can reduce gas consumption when growth slows, but we have to eat every day,” she told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“Concern over access to affordable food, globally, is reaching fever pitch.”