What to expect as floods and rising prices make Christmas lunch more expensive than ever

Independent Food Distributors Australia chief executive Richard Forbes said consumers will feel it in the hip pocket as they shop for Christmas lunch, as price rises of between six per cent and eight per cent are expected in both 2023 and 2024.

"If you looked at the price people were paying at Christmas time two years ago, there'll be a stark difference between then and this year," Mr Forbes said.

"If anyone is having a Christmas meal I would suggest that all those attending bring a plate, whether it be a bit of chicken or ham, it certainly shouldn't be on one family member to put on Christmas lunch on their own, it's going to cost them too much."

Seafood Industry Australia CEO Veronica Papacosta said that oyster growers have suffered from recent weather events, potentially jeopardizing the Christmas delicacy.

"It's been a tough season for Sydney Rock Oyster growers with the loss of the Port Stephens oyster farms and the ongoing rain events along our Eastern Coast," she said.

"This will put pressure on the supply available."

According to a spokesperson for Coles, Aussie Christmas favourites like Coles Beechwood Half Leg and Full Leg Ham will be the same price as last year.

"The recent floods are impacting the ability to pick, pack and transport fresh fruit around the country. Our farmers are doing an amazing job in mitigating the majority of these impacts; however, you will see that early season stone fruit is in lower supply at the moment," the Coles spokesperson said.

Eight per cent of Australians are concerned about rising food and grocery prices and Foodbank's 2022 Hunger report says over two million households in Australia have experienced severe food insecurity in the last 12 months.

The National Food Supply Chain Alliance, made up of nine influential national food industry associations says recent threats have laid bare Australia's food supply chain's dependencies, risks, and vulnerabilities.

The alliance is calling on the government to establish a national food security plan as a matter of urgency.

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"We've never had a national food security plan before, but times have changed, and we have to change too," Mr Forbes said.

"But if we don't, it will be at our peril."

But the news isn't all bad, Ms Papacosta said that despite massive disruptions to the food supply network most seafood will be readily available this Christmas.

Prawns, an Australian Christmas staple, will be fresh and accessible.

"We've had a fantastic wild-caught King Prawn and Banana Prawn season, they are both looking really good, and our farmed Tiger Prawns are always fantastic," Ms Papacosta said.

"If you're in a coastal community have a chat with your seafood retailer about your local School Prawns which are often really sweet and can be eaten whole. They are really tasty, deep-fried shell and all, served with a tartare or seafood sauce."

The federal government recently called an inquiry into food security that must consider Australia's production, consumption and export of food, as well as access to major inputs including fuel and fertiliser.