Victorians are being warned to brace for food shortages and big price rises as the harvest crisis facing the state’s fruit and vegetable growers looms.

Just 355 unemployed Australians have taken up a federal government program to take on short-term harvesting jobs.

Emma Germano from the Farmers Federation says that’s a drop in the ocean.

“We are looking at shortages of up to about 26,000,” she told 3AW Breakfast.

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