Banana move is round the bend: Outrage as Coles bins local fruit

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, September 10, 2026

Coles has decided to replace locally grown bananas from the Coffs Harbour region with suppliers from north Queensland as part of a 12-month supply chain restructuring plan ending the current agreement in October. This shift threatens approximately 40 local farms and could cause an economic loss of up to $20 million, sparking significant opposition from growers and local politicians who warn it may undermine the region’s banana industry.

Banana growers in the Coffs Harbour region have expressed strong concerns over Coles’ decision to replace locally grown bananas with those sourced from north Queensland. The supermarket chain’s move, announced last month, is part of a 12-month plan to consolidate its supply chain and phase out direct-to-store deliveries, ending an existing supply agreement in October.

Local farmers fear the change will deal a significant blow to the region’s economy, which has long been associated with banana production. Paul Shoker, a plantation owner in the area, highlighted the widespread support among farmers along the north coast—from Grafton to Port Macquarie—urging Coles to reconsider. “This is not a good decision and not one the customers want,” Shoker said, noting that in less than two weeks, a petition against the move gathered 15,000 signatures and social media responses exceeded one million views. He estimated the economic impact on the local community could range from $18 million to $20 million and emphasized the importance of maintaining a market for the region’s produce.

For more than three decades, Shoker’s family farm, along with others in the area, has supplied bananas through a Coffs Harbour-based wholesale distributor that holds agreements with major supermarkets including Coles and Woolworths. With the upcoming changes, Shoker said approximately 30 percent of the local banana crop might lose its primary buyer, affecting around 40 farms in total.

Gurmesh Singh, the New South Wales Nationals Leader and Coffs Harbour MP since 2019, also criticized Coles’ decision. Having family roots in the banana industry before shifting to other crops, Singh described the supermarket’s plan as “crazy” and said he met with Coles representatives last Friday to urge them to reconsider. Singh acknowledged there could be practical reasons for switching suppliers but stressed that local consumers strongly prefer bananas grown in the Coffs Harbour region. He warned the move could contribute to the decline of the local banana industry, referencing the sharp price increases in Sydney in 2011 following cyclone damage in North Queensland. “If we want Australian-grown produce, we have to support farmers,” Singh said.

In response, a Coles spokesperson confirmed the company will continue to source all bananas from Australian growers but defended the change as part of a broader adjustment to their fresh produce supply model. The spokesman acknowledged the impact on some suppliers but said the decision was carefully considered. The company did not provide further comment on whether there would be initiatives to support affected farmers in the Coffs Harbour area.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.