Millions of tomato seedlings in northern Queensland have been poisoned, in what's believed to be sabotage.
A herbicide appears to have been deliberately injected into the irrigation system of a major plant nursery and hydroponics farm in Bowen, killing an estimated seven million tomato seedlings and thousands of tomato and capsicum plants.
It is the third time crops in the region have been poisoned, the ABC reports.
Detective Inspector Dave Miles from Townsville police says it may be as a result of competition or may be a vendetta.
Tomatoes from the seedlings would have been for sale in shops in September.
At this time of year, northern Queensland produces 80% of Australia's tomatoes.
The president of the growers association in Northern Queensland, Carl Walker, says about 350-hectares of production land was affected by the poisoning, which will mean 6500 tonnes of fresh produce won't now be harvested.
Mr Walker estimates it will cost the local industry at least $A23 million, and Australian consumers will pay more for tomatoes.
Most of New Zealand's tomato imports come from northern Queensland, but the chairman of Horticulture New Zealand's fresh tomato product group, Wim Zwart, says domestic supplies of tomatoes will be on the market by September which should cushion the impact of the shortage at that time from across the Tasman.