The peak body for vegetable growers says big retailers should not use recent floods as an excuse to raise prices or import more fresh produce from overseas.

Widespread flooding has damaged farming land and supply routes across eastern Australia, and the Federal Government has warned consumers that food prices will rise because of the inundation.

Politicians have united to urge the big supermarket chains to buy locally produced fruit and vegetables and not to resort to cheaper imports to fill their shelves.

But Ausveg CEO Richard Mulcahy says producers from northern Tasmania, not the worst-hit state Queensland, have been hardest hit by flooding.

He says there are enough Australian producers elsewhere to pick up the slack.

"I took my own family into a supermarket last week in a coastal town and their apricots were $10 a kilo," he said.

"We went into a supermarket near my home in Melbourne [and apricots were] $5 a kilo.

"Clearly it was nothing to do with the weather. It was a case of exploiting the fact that there were a lot of people on holidays and there is a lot of media talking about it and so it sounds believable.

"Certainly there have been farms that have been damaged in [Queensland's] Lockyer Valley but in terms of supply of produce, the cases cannot be made out that there is an acute shortage at the moment justifying those increases."

Queensland Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce is warning the major supermarkets not to use the recent floods as an excuse to start importing produce from overseas.

Senator Joyce says he is concerned some suppliers could use the opportunity to open up exclusive supply lines from overseas, driving Australian producers out of the market.

"If you think that you can use this as a mechanism to sneakily move to an overseas supplier because your real intention is not to alleviate the oppressions from the flood, but put more money in your bank account long term, then I won't miss you," he said.

'Ugly' fruit

As flood-affected produce hits the market, consumers are being urged to be more tolerant about the odd blemish on a potato, or dark patch on a banana.

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon wants retailers and consumers to support Australian farmers, even if domestic produce is slightly damaged or more expensive.

He wants a campaign to promote the beauty of what he calls "ugly" Australian fruit.

"Just because fruit and vegetables might have a few blemishes, they're just as good to eat," he said.

"The risk is that if imports come in then they'll get a foothold in the marketplace and that won't be a good thing in terms of the long-term viability of our farmers."

Andrew Hall from Woolworths says there is still plenty of Australian produce available and the company is asking customers to be more lenient about how their fresh food looks.

"Prices are firming in some categories and we've seen a little bit of firming in tomatoes and the like. But across the board there is still plenty of food available so we don't expect to see any rush of imported product onto our shelves," he said.

"At the end of the day it's the customer that decides what they pick up off the shelf, and we're just urging customers to be a little more understanding about the quality of the product that's coming through."

"Watermelons at the moment, for example, when you cut them open are a little bit cracked inside. If that's the case they still make for delicious eating."