THE federal coalition wants shoppers to buy blemished fruit and vegetables to help farmers who are battling fires, drought and floods.
Shadow Agriculture Minister John Cobb said the coalition was backing a campaign by Ausveg and the Victorian Farmers Federation to urge shoppers to keep buying fruit that looks sunburnt or flood-damaged.
“The heat wave in Southern Australia has resulted in some cosmetic blemishes to otherwise excellent fruit and vegetables,'' Mr Cobb said.
“So much hard work and money goes into producing our food.
“It would be an absolute crying shame if people stopped buying perfectly good fruit and vegies because of a slight blemish, in turn depriving farmers of a living.''
Mr Cobb there may also be some weather-damaged fruit coming down from flood-ravaged areas in Queensland, “which again will be great to eat, but may not be cosmetically perfect''.
He said buying fruit which was blemished would not only help our farmers hit by drought, heat waves and floods. “It will also help alleviate fruit and vegetable shortages which would otherwise drive up prices.''
