The cost of iceberg lettuce soared as high as $12 a head in the past week, due to extreme rains wiping out crops in Queensland's Lockyer Valley, where a significant amount of the nation's supply is grown.

Wagga Fruit Supply owner Robert Papasidero said the shortage forced his business to pull iceberg lettuce from the shelves entirely.

"It got to a stage where the lettuce was so expensive that if we put it out there and didn't sell it, it would be a loss we couldn't afford," he said.

"So we're not putting it on the shelf and we're only selling lettuce wholesale. In retail we're just trying to steer our customers to cheaper alternatives."

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Mr Papasidero said he has encouraged any customers who questioned the absence of iceberg lettuce to embrace other options such as cos, red oak and green oak lettuce.

The grocer said a box of iceberg lettuce, which contains 12 heads, used to cost his business about $14 on average but has risen to $99 this week.

"We just can't sell them at the usual price because we've still got to pay the costs of running electricity, paying wages and running the forklift," he said.

Fast food giants KFC and Subway are also struggling with the supply chain disruptions, announcing this week they would be mixing their lettuce with cabbage due to the skyrocketing costs.

Lettuce is just the latest in a long line of fruit and vegetables to have had their prices soar due to this year's floods in Queensland and NSW.

Capsicum, cauliflower, broccoli and spinach prices rose by up to 50 per cent in Wagga earlier this year and Mr Papasidero admitted he had "no idea" if there was an end in sight.

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