Orange & Bathurst Box Divvy

30/05/2026

🛼 🛼 Rollback prices to 1999

To highlight the plight of farmers getting paid the same money for their produce as they were paid ten or twenty years ago, Box Divvy started a series of Rollback Prices…All The Way Back to 1999.

We unearthed supermarket ads going back to the year 1999 that advertised fresh produce at prices not too dissimilar to today’s prices.

Last week, we offered Field Tomatoes at the 1999 price of $2.69 a kilo.

This week, it’s Iceberg Lettuce at the unbelievable price of 87c – most of which (70c) goes back to grower Manuel Xerri in Agnes Bank, and Box Divvy makes the princely sum of 17c.

🙄 Meanwhile, Colesworth is selling Iceberg lettuce for $2.50 a head – nearly three times as much.

22/05/2026

Divvy Day!

04/05/2026

Product Alert for Monday 4th May
Queensland watermelons are coming down, with prices dropping below $2 a kilo.

Also, warm weather extends the Lebanese cucumber season, with prices dropping 16%.

Raspberries and Granny Smith apples will be in short supply this week (prices are up), but…the Queensland strawberry season is starting early. Growers have so much small fruit already, they’re sending Jumbo 500g punnets for under $6 each. And they look great!

18/04/2026

🍎𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 – 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘃𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆
- Pink Lady apples are still the most popular but also the most expensive.
- We get it… kids love them. But why not try something different for yourself?
- Golden Delicious = cheaper, full of flavour, softer European style.
- Not popular with shops (yellow doesn’t “pop”)… but that’s your win.

🍐𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 – 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀
- Corella pears are in this week. Can eat crunchy, even better when ripened. Store for ages.

🍍 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘀 – 𝗠𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗴
- Good value: bananas, papaya, passionfruit (~90c)
- Avoid for now: Pineapple, Melons (scarce for 3–4 weeks), Watermelon hitting ~$4/kg in shops

🍓𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 & 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀
- Berries still decent (blueberries improving), but not as cheap as last week
- Citrus is the star right now:✔ Grapefruit, lemons, limes, ✔ Mandarins (~$5/kg, dropping by May)

🥑𝗩𝗲𝗴 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 – 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝘁
- ✔ Avocados (Shepard & Hass) – great value
- ✔ Beans & corn – super cheap
- ✔ Xerri’s broccoli – improving + less than HALF price
- ✔ Lettuce, capsicum, cucumber, eggplant, zucchini – all cheap
- ✔ Leeks, pumpkin, fennel, brown onions – good buying

𝗩𝗲𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵
- Beetroot (all types)
- Red onions
- Rhubarb (seems reds are having a moment… not a good one)

🥬𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗳𝘆 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸
- Great value again: Silverbeet, spinach, radish, coriander, parsley

🍅𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀
- Snacking tomatoes still strong
- Field & Roma tomatoes starting to come down in price

⛽Fuel Watch
- Too early to call — we’re taking it week by week. But… so far, so good.

𝗕𝗼𝘅 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝘃𝘆 = 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 + 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴.

12/04/2026

This week's Market Update:

W2616 Market Update
Autumn is settling in, and the market is shifting… here’s what’s worth popping in your box (and what’s not ).

Apples & Pears: More Choice, Better Value
Apple season is opening up nicely. Kanzi apples are stepping in as a great-value alternative to Pink Lady, while Fuji, Royal Gala and Granny Smith are all improving in supply.
Pears are also having a moment with Red Sienna Pride is nearly done, but fragrant Josephines have arrived. And next week, we swap Williams out for Packhams.

Berries: A Bit of a Rollercoaster
After last week’s strawberry price shock (yep… double 😬), we’re cautiously optimistic. Prices should come down… but we’ll believe it when we see it.
Good news though: blackberries are looking great and raspberries are an absolute steal at around $3

Grapes: Pricier but Worth It
Supply is tightening, but the eating quality? Possibly the best we’ve seen. Sometimes you just pay for the good stuff.

Citrus: The Comeback Kid
Queensland citrus is ramping up, which means cheaper lemons, ruby grapefruit and Imperial mandarins (under $5/kg ).
Kiwi fruit is colourful green, gold and red — but still on the pricey side.

Melons: Not Their Time (Yet)
Give melons a miss for now. We’ll revisit once Queensland supply improves and prices drop.

Avocados: Bargain Alert
Shepards are still under $1 and now joined by late-season Hass from WA at $1.48.
Prefer that nutty Hass flavour? Worth the upgrade. Either way the April avo prices like this are rare.

Local Heroes
Manuel Xerri is keeping the corn coming (even while supplying the Royal Easter Show!).
Plus: whole broccoli from the Xerri family — leaves, stems, the lot — bigger, more nutritious, and now half the price by weight

One Week Wonders & New Greens
George Portelli is bringing:
• Small red cabbages for $2.40
• Baby bok choy (buk choi) fresh, tender and around $2 a bunch
Hello, easy stir-fries

Veg Watch
J*P pumpkins = great value
Tomatoes = still pricey ❌ (hang tight for Queensland supply in about a month)
BUT… yellow and black cherry tomatoes are looking good at around $3.50

Something Different
Chestnuts are back — perfect for roasting (check Marketplace for how-to )
And feeling adventurous? Try fresh olives! Cure them yourself and is so easy, no fancy gear, just a bit of patience.

In short:
Shop smart, follow the seasons, and let the market guide your box this week.

30/03/2026

Add some delicious umami seasoning to your next prawn dish.

23/03/2026

Capsicums are great value this week at

Demand is down but farmers don’t like to see their produce go to waste – so they’ve asked us to push hard, knowing that a bigger proportion of your dollar ends up in the farmer’s wallet. Supermarkets are playing games: they still charge $9-10 a kilo for capsicums.
Looks like a great time for fajitas! 👇 this recipe I used in comments…

22/03/2026

Strawberries! Yes please!

BOX DIVVY MARKET UPDATE

Big Flavour, Bigger Bargains

Alright food lovers, here’s what’s happening in the markets this week and yes, there are some absolute standouts (plus a few drama queens, as usual).

Fruit — Eat Now vs Wait Patiently

GOLD KIWI
Let’s start with kiwifruit, because they’re clearly in two very different moods. Green kiwi are still not ripe and showing zero interest in cooperating, so we’re leaving them alone for now.

The early gold kiwi, on the other hand, are absolutely sweet, juicy, and ready to go right now. No waiting, no disappointment. Slice them over yoghurt, toss into a smoothie, or just eat them straight from the fridge like nature’s sorbet.

STRAWBERRIES
The big “wow” this week is strawberries. We’ve 500g jumbo punnets from Tasmania and Victoria at $4.90, and they are the kind of strawberries that never make it home intact. If you do manage some self-control, try tossing them with a little balsamic and mint, or freeze them for smoothies (though let’s be honest, freezing requires leftovers).

APPLES
Fuji apples have ramped up in supply and dropped to $5.77/kg, cheaper than last week. They’re naturally extra sweet because they store more sugars on the tree, which basically makes them the overachievers of the apple world. Great for lunchboxes, or slice and pan-fry with a bit of butter for a quick dessert.

MELONS
Rockmelons are big this week at $3.73 each, and definitely worth grabbing. Chill, slice, add a squeeze of lime.

BANANAS
Bananas are still cheap so enjoy it while it lasts because they’re likely to go up soon. This is your window to stock up without regret, maybe freeze them for smoothies.

ALL ROUNDERS
There are also some great-value all-rounders at the moment, including watermelon, Nashi pears, grapes and pomegranates.

Vegetables … Where the Real Wins Are

Beans are cheaper this week at $6.68/kg. For comparison, Coles is at $7.50/kg or $12/kg if you prefer them prepacked in plastic for reasons no one can quite explain. A quick stir-fry with garlic and olive oil and you’re sorted.

Sugar snap peas are another standout at $19.03/kg compared to $32/kg at Coles. Snap them up while you can.

Chinese broccoli is back after a shortage, coming in at $3.14 each. These are grown by Simon Chong in Leppington in the Sydney Basin, so you’re getting fresh, local produce. Best way to use it? Quick blanch, then drizzle with oyster sauce and sesame oil. Simple and brilliant.

Caulini (baby cauliflower) from the Xerri Brothers is in this week in smaller “handful” sizes, around 400g for just $2.57. With regular cauliflower still expensive, this is a great alternative. Roast it with olive oil and salt and you’re done.

Capsicum, both red and yellow, are a standout at $3.73/kg, compared to $8.90 and $9.90/kg respectively at Coles.
And it’s a perfect time to get the soup pot going with leeks and brushed potatoes. There’s a recipe in the newsletter.

Australian farmers

It’s a great week to support Australian farmers, especially from the Sydney Basin. Wombok from the Portelli family in Maroota is just $2.69 (compared to $4.90 at Coles) and can be eaten raw in slaws or quickly stir-fried.

Cabbage is also excellent value at $2.77 each, while a mini cabbage at Coles will set you back $6.20 for less. Make it make sense.

🚫 Not This Week
The only thing not playing nicely is English spinach, which has jumped in price, so we’ve taken it off for now. It’ll be back when it behaves.

It’s a cracking week all round with great fruit, strong veg pricing, and plenty of Aussie fresh produce worth supporting. Fill your box, try something new, and maybe grab an extra punnet of strawberries… just in case they mysteriously disappear on the way home.

20/03/2026

Shepard avocados for the win! 🥑🥑

16/03/2026

Some great prices this week folks!