Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

KFC in Australia is putting cabbage in its burgers due to a shortage of lettuce that has led to prices to soar, Bloomberg reported on June 7.

Instead of burgers served with lettuce, a blend of lettuce and cabbage will be used throughout its restaurants nation-wide, the company notified customers.

It's at least the second time this year that KFC Australia has to deal with a missing staple food component.

In January 2022, it had to cut menu items as a result of a shortage of chicken.

Bad weather

Supply chain disruptions are due to heavy flooding across the east coast of Australia, which wiped out much of the lettuce crop earlier in 2022, the fast food chain said.

S$11.90 for iceberg lettuce

Australian consumers now have to pay much more for the salad ingredient while grocery shopping.

A head of iceberg lettuce costs A$12 (S$11.90) now, with complaints surfacing on social media.

A watermelon costs upward of A$25 (S$24.90).

Supply chain issues

According to government forecaster Abares, flooding stemming from climate events is to blame for higher prices for fruits and vegetables in Australia, a major produce exporter.

Consumer prices for fruit and vegetables in Australia rose strongly in the March quarter, by 4.9 per cent and 6.6 per cent respectively, according to Abares.

The nation is still grappling with pandemic-related supply chain disruptions and persistent labour shortages, as well as access to important imported machinery.

Abares said in its quarterly outlook on June 7 that "almost all aspects of the supply chain are facing inflationary pressures" in 2022 and 2023, when in "normal times", production in other areas "becomes available to fill supply gaps" to lead to price recovery of fruits and vegetables.

Top photos via KFC Australia & Wikiemedia