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In one supermarket, a single iceberg lettuce sells for $12.

And at others, the crispy vegetable isn't available at all.

While cost of living pressures are going up across the board, few products have been impacted as much as vegetables.

READ MORE: Iceberg lettuce sells for $12 in Queensland grocery store

Global supply chain issues and the war on Ukraine have been the usual culprits when it comes to inflation impacting Australians, but when it comes to the vegetable crisis, most of the blame lies on the weather.

At this time of the year, much of the vegetables on Australian supermarket shelves are coming from Queensland – specifically the Lockyer Valley as well as Scenic Rim and Stanthorpe.

But three months of rain have all but wiped out an entire crop of common vegetables.

READ MORE: Woolworths axes its 15 cent reusable plastic shopping bags

Flooding and persistent rain has prevented planting, ruined harvesting and washed away the topsoil, according to Ausveg's Tyson Cattle.

"It's too wet to go out there and plant the next crop," Cattle said.

"That's causing a sharp increase in prices right now for a lot of fresh vegetable lines."

Unfortunately this means there won't be any reprieve in high vegetable prices for some time yet.

READ MORE: Woolworths rolls out QR code payments system nationwide

"Most vegetables mature in 12 to 16 weeks, so we're looking at three to four months," Cattle said.

"Our main priority at the moment is to try and give growers the tools to plant the next crop. We don't know how long that's going to take.

"Even when there is supply that comes onto that market, it's our expectation is that prices will remain reasonably high."

The weather is to blame for most of the vegetable shortages, but there's more to the high prices than a shortage of supply.

Prices of fuel, fertiliser and many other things essential to farming have skyrocketed in recent months – thanks in large part to the war in Ukraine.

READ MORE: Spot check blitz on Sydney eateries over worker pay concerns

Russia is both a major producer of fertiliser and oil, and with sanctions preventing their exports, prices have surged.

"Our data tells us that growers' costs of production have gone up 35-45 percent across the board," Cattle said.

"We have a lot of growers that were essentially planting and growing their product at a loss."

Woolworths fruit and vegetable general manager Paul Turner said heavy rain and low sunlight in Queensland had affected supply and quality of tomatoes, zucchini, beans and broccolini.

READ MORE: Is it legal for a shop to refuse cash as payment?

"We're still seeing challenges with lettuce and berry supply so while the new crops have been planted, it will take a few weeks for stocks to return to more stable levels," Turner said.

"Right now apples and citrus are at their peak, and pears and white washed potatoes are in strong supply and great value for our customers."

There's little reprieve for the Lockyer Valley vegetable growers today, with heavy rain forecast today and Monday.

A third case of monkeypox has been identified in New South Wales.

NSW Health said the man in his 50s developed a mild illness several days after arriving back in Sydney from Europe.

He went to his doctor who found his symptoms were "clinically compatible" with monkeypox, which was later confirmed via testing.

He is currently isolating at home.

EXPLAINED: What is monkeypox and what are its symptoms?

"NSW Health is undertaking contact tracing and providing appropriate health advice to any contacts identified," NSW Health said in a statement.

The case is not connected to the two previous cases reported in the state.

Yesterday's case was a man who had returned to Sydney from Queensland.

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant has praised the work of GPs, like the one who diagnosed this man, as monkeypox had never been identified in NSW prior to last month.

"Monkeypox does not present a transmission risk to the general community, and has until recently not been an infection most clinicians in NSW would have been looking for or concerned about in their patients," Chant said.

READ MORE: Aspiring homeowners facing $120k price hike after builder pulls out

https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1532546769212411904

Monkeypox is endemic to part of Africa however cases have been reported from non-endemic countries since May this year.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said monkeypox symptoms are "very similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe".

It is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, the WHO said.

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Every week we will break down, debunk and demystify your rights as a shopper in Australia. This week we are looking at retailers who specify what type of payment they want and whether that's legal.

We all know life is getting more expensive, and how important it is to stretch every dollar you make.

That's why each week we'll answer a question surrounding what shoppers are – and aren't – entitled to when dealing with retailers and manufacturers.

MONEY MATTERS: Is it legal for a shop to only accept cash as payment?

It's legal tender!

Hi Stuart,

I read with interest your Money Matters article last week that said it was legal for a business to only accept cash as payment. I was wondering, particularly during COVID-19, whether the opposite was true?

Can a business refuse to accept cash?

Under most circumstances, yes it is legal for a business to refuse to accept cash, although in this writer's opinion that would be a pretty poor business decision.

Basically the same reading of the same laws we looked at last week apply: the provider of the goods or services is "at liberty to set the commercial terms upon which payment will take place before the 'contract' for supply of the goods or services is entered into".

MONEY MATTERS: How to get a refund if you've lost the box

It is not unlawful for a business to ask for card payments only, but they must make that clear (the terms of the "contract") before a service or good is purchased.

The Reserve Bank of Australia says a good example of this is non-human business collection points that stipulate exactly how they want to be paid – like the claw machine at the pub only accepting gold coins.

"For example, some vending machines, parking meters and road toll collection points indicate by signs that they will not accept low denomination coins. Some road toll collection points indicate that they will not accept any cash at all," the bank says.

"If a provider of goods or services specifies other means of payment prior to the contract, then there is usually no obligation for legal tender to be accepted as payment."

MONEY MATTERS: The problem with 'no refund on sale item' signs

"But cash is legal tender! They have to take it!" I hear you say.

There are circumstances in which this is true.

Refusal to accept any legal tender – including coins – in the payment of a debt where no other form of payment has been specified in advance could have legal consequences.

You can read all about commercial terms on the RBA website here, or if you're feeling particularly interested you can pore over the legislation of the Currency Act 1965 here.

READ MORE: Why lettuce and other vegetables are so expensive or not on shelves

The information provided on this website is general in nature only and should not be taken as legal advice. People who need clarification on these matters should obtain appropriate legal advice.

Three Auckland men have been arrested as authorities disrupt alleged plans to import a large shipment of methamphetamine into New Zealand via the Port of Tauranga.The arrests were made yesterday after an investigation following…

A man has been charged after football fans were filmed brawling on a Melbourne road following an AFL game at the MCG.

Several witnesses called police to the intersection of Punt Road and Wellington Street in Richmond about 7.30pm on Sunday as a group of six men, wearing AFL jumpers, fought in the middle of the road.

Footage of the brawl showed one man on the ground being kicked and punched in the head several times.

READ MORE: Woman hands herself in to police after boy fatally hit by car in Melbourne

Police said on Monday officers went to the scene and spoke to a number of men in the area and patrolled nearby streets but were unable to find a victim.

Officers have since arrested a 32-year-old Aintree man.

He has been charged with one count of affray and will face Melbourne Magistrates' Court in October.

Police have said they are still investigating the incident and anticipate other people could be charged in coming days.