Tasmanians are among the hardest-hit in the country when it comes to the growing cost of living, and the situation isn't likely to improve any time soon for food shoppers, based on the recent profit reports from supermarkets and food producers.
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In a profit statement to the ASX last week, Woolworths reported a 7.3 per cent jump in its food prices in the year to the end of September, with "double-digit" inflation in the price of fruits and vegetables.
Other areas to see galloping price rises included red meat, dairy, and even long-life products.
Coles, which reported its first-quarter results around the same time, said its food prices increased by 7.1 per cent on average in the year to the end of September.
Fresh food, including fruits, berries and store-baked bread, increased by nearly 9 per cent, Coles stated.
And at Inghams, Australia's biggest chicken producer, chief executive officer Andrew Reeves on Tuesday said it increased its average selling prices by 6.6 per cent in January to June this year.
He signaled worse news coming for lovers of the dinner staple.
He noted that Inghams' chicken feed bill increased by $45 million in the year to June, and said price rises for its own customers would compensate for the cost blowout.
"We have been seeking to achieve price increases that offset our cost inflation environment, and discussions remain ongoing with all customers should we need to seek further increases," he said.
"Feed prices remain elevated due to tight global supply as a result of continued uncertainty surrounding production in Ukraine and related trade flows."
Both Coles and Woolworths blamed their price rises on inclement weather, energy cost increases and international factors, and indicated that the sharp price rises could continue if heavy rainfall disrupts summer crops.
But even though these price increases affect the whole country, they are hitting particularly hard in the island state, independent member for Clark, Andrew Wilkie, told Federal Parliament on Wednesday.
"Tasmanians are especially feeling the pressure - after all, median weekly earnings for all employees in Tasmania is $1,000, which is 16.7 per cent less than the national average of $1,200," he said.
"Other areas where Tasmanians are often worse off than the mainland include rents and property prices, rate of GP bulk-billing, fuel prices and the much greater reliance on government pensions and payments. Nor is Tasmania immune from Australia's steeply rising electricity and gas prices," he said.
Inflation figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicated that Tasmania's costs have been increasing faster in recent months.
Overall prices increased by 8.6 per cent in the year to the end of September in Hobart (figures for the North and North-west were not available) compared to an increase of 7.3 per cent for the nation as a whole.
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