A plague of biblical proportions is unfolding in Australia’s grain belt, and British shoppers may soon feel the pinch at the checkout. Scientists have warned that a “super-swarm” of mice, fuelled by a bumper harvest and mild winter, is now devastating wheat crops across New South Wales and Queensland. The infestation comes as global wheat supplies are already stretched thin by the war in Ukraine and drought in North America. For UK families already battling a cost-of-living crisis, the ripple effects could mean loaf of bread prices climbing even higher.
Farmers in the affected regions report fields stripped bare overnight, with mice gnawing through stored grain and even chewing through machinery wiring. The scale is unprecedented. One grazier described waking to find a living carpet of rodents, thousands of pairs of eyes glowing in the headlights. The Australian government has declared a plague emergency and is releasing bromadiolone, a powerful anticoagulant poison, but experts fear it may not be enough. The poison is banned in many countries due to its toxicity to wildlife, but Canberra argues it is a last resort.
Britain’s reliance on Australian wheat is not huge - about 5% of our imports come from Down Under - but the timing could not be worse. Global wheat prices have already surged 20% this year. With Australia’s export crop at risk, those costs will pass straight to millers, then bakers, then to every family’s weekly shop. The National Farmers’ Union warned last night that the UK could be facing a bread price hike of 10p per loaf by autumn. For households on universal credit, that is a significant bite out of an already thin budget.
Union leaders are already voicing concerns for bakery workers. Usdaw, the shopworkers’ union, noted that rising food prices historically lead to increased tensions at the tills, with staff facing more abuse from customers struggling to pay. Meanwhile, the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union called for emergency talks with ministers to secure food supplies and protect jobs.
The rodent super-swarm is not just an agricultural disaster; it is a social one. In rural Australia, families are fleeing their homes as the mice invade bedrooms and kitchens. Children have been bitten in their sleep. The psychological toll is immense. Scientists from CSIRO, the national science agency, warn that the mice are evolving resistance to conventional poisons and breeding faster than they can be culled. One researcher said it is only a matter of time before the swarm grows to an unstoppable size.
The British government has not yet issued a formal response, but the Environment Secretary is understood to be monitoring the situation closely. A spokesperson said the UK will work with international partners to ensure supply chains remain robust. But for the millions of Britons already feeling the squeeze, promises of robust supply chains are cold comfort. The price of bread is the canary in the coal mine for the wider economy, and this canary is looking distinctly sick.
