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Australian pineapple farmers are facing an oversupply crisis—your next shop could help

Don't let fresh fruit go to waste.
australian pineapple oversupply with pineapples piled up at supermarket
(Credit: Getty Images)

Pineapples are a staple during Aussie summer – who doesn’t love their sweet, tart and sometimes stinging flavour? And, there’s about to be more than you could have ever dreamed of!

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Eliza the Veggie Scientist, in collaboration with Australian Pineapples, has informed us about an incoming oversupply from Queensland pineapple farms. Here’s why there’s going to be more pineapples than usual on the supermarket shelf, and what you can do to help farmers reduce waste:

Why are there so many pineapples?

According to Australian Pineapples, pineapples take up to two years to grow before they’re ready to be harvested. Pineapple plants can grow in two different ways:

  • Natural hormone application: This is when the entire pineapple plant crop is induced to flower and then fruit at the same time. This ensures a consistent and healthy crop every time.
  • Natural flowering: This is the natural way that pineapple plants flower before growing fruit. On Aussie pineapple farms, this growing method is not as common, and doesn’t ensure a consistent crop.
Pineapples grow from flowers into beautiful, juicy fruit in Queensland (Credit: Canva)

In 2025, the weather across Queensland created the perfect conditions for widespread natural flowering. And from that natural flowering came lots and lots of pineapples!

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Now, 6 months later, there’s going to be a huge surplus of pineapples in supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide.

What you can do to help

How can you help? By eating them, of course!

To help Aussie farmers use up their oversupply and reduce food waste, buy as many pineapples as you can eat. Farmers only have a few weeks to move stock through grocery stores, so the more you eat, the less waste there is! And, who doesn’t love a pineapple pina colada, or pineapple upside-down cake?

Pineapples are currently priced at $2.45 to $5.90 each at various supermarkets, including Coles and Woolworths. There may be price drops in the next few days, with more pineapples appearing on shelves.

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How to spot the perfect pineapple

Eliza has named the pineapple as her ‘Fruit of the Week (FOTW)’, and has given us two essential ways to spot a tasty pineapple:

  1. Find pineapples with ‘eyes’ or tips of the spiky extrusions that are very yellow.
  2. A lime green crack between the eyes indicates sweetness.

Head into your nearest fruit and veg store and buy up as many pineapples as you can! Look for the green and gold label, grab 2-3 fresh pineapples, and help Queensland farming families while enjoying the sweetest, most affordable pineapples of the season.

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