Another local vendor to be hit by recent increases in prices has been Foodworks Longreach.
Foodworks part-owner Rose Leggett said she has been grateful for the support of the community thus far.
“Prices are rising, but the flip side is many products are still maintaining their prices,” she said.
“It’s a little bit give and take.”
Lettuce prices are the talk on everyone’s lips due to their unheard-of prices—as a result of the floods, many lettuce farmers had been forced to let their crops rot.
Prices are unlikely to return to normal until a new set of crops can be harvested.
“If we [as a community] stop buying the lettuces at this time, we actually hurt the farmer,” Ms Leggett said.
“He’s now lost his product, he’s got no income from this crop, he’s now got to plant another crop—so he’s getting hit a few times.
“So, he’s got to get the rotten ones out and the new ones in as quickly as he can; so if we can support him just a little through this, he’ll be better for it.
“If you can hang in there a little bit for him, what it will do is help him get back on his feet.”
Ms Leggett said recently freight has been hurting her business more so than in the past.
“Fuel prices are inevitable; we spend a lot of time looking for cheaper options that are still good,” she said.
“One thing we don’t step back on is the 100 per cent good quality we have with our fruit and veg.
“That’s paramount, and we try really hard to get good quality meat.”
Foodworks puts a lot of its profits back into the community—and not just Longreach but into smaller surrounding communities such as Stonehenge.
“The more shops you have in the town, the better the town does—provides more jobs,” Ms Leggett said.
“A little family business like this means 100 per cent of the profits are spent here.
“We try to support as many local community groups as we can.”
