Australian farmers have joined a growing chorus urging people to stop panic-hoarding as they promised shoppers there's enough food to outlast the coronavirus.
Australian farmers have assured people there is more than enough food as shoppers continue to strip supermarket shelves amid the
coronavirus pandemic.
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Empty aisles don't mean the country's stocks are low, growers across the country are reminding people.
It comes as the prime minister warned the panicked behaviour was distracting officials' attention, diverting important resources in order to keep supply lines open.
NSW Farmers vice president Chris Groves says the global virus pandemic will put a large dent in Australia's produce export.
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"But Australians can be assured that there will be more than enough food for them," he said.
Australia does not rely on imported fresh food and currently exports about 75 per cent of its produce.
When China - the world's largest dairy importer - became the epicentre of the outbreak it reduced its milk imports, stalling an upward swing in global dairy prices that began in late 2019.
However, Chinese consumers are expected to return to normal by the latter half of 2020, according a report by Rabobank.
Meanwhile, it's business as usual for farmers in the never-ending cycle of growing "the world's best produce", Mr Grant said.
"The hens are still laying eggs, the dairy cows are still being milked, grain growers are preparing winter crops, orchards are still bearing fruit."
He said despite lingering drought and a catastrophic bushfire season, NSW's livestock supply is steady and growers are out picking fresh apples and bananas.
Farmers want to remind NSW shoppers the state also grows both rice and wheat, along with the vast majority of its fruit and vegetables.
"There's no need to panic if there's no rice or pasta on supermarket shelves," Mr Groves said.
Mr Groves said it was up to the supermarkets to work with farmers to ensure shelves were stocked.
Aldi, Coles, IGA and Woolworths have issued a plea for customers to be more considerate and only buy what they need.
In a newspaper advertisement, the grocery retailers also called for shoppers to stop attacks on staff and fellow customers after more people were filmed spouting verbal abuse.
Scott Morrison named the behaviour one of the most disappointing things he had ever seen.
"There is no reason for people to be hoarding supplies from fear of a lockdown or anything like this," he told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.
The supermarkets say they're doing everything they can to speed up the turnover of goods.