Countdown spokesperson Kate Porter said there were "definite challenges at the moment across a variety of fruit and veges around the entire country due to the terrible weather".
"We have really good direct relationships with our local growers and suppliers so we're doing what we can to ensure we have supply wherever possible, at a good price for our customers."
Porter recommended customers shop for seasonal veges such as carrots, potatoes, parsnip, pumpkin and brussel sprouts or buy frozen or canned vegetables to add to meals.
Head of external relations for Foodstuffs Antoinette Laird said frozen vegetable sales have risen by six per cent at Foodstuff's supermarkets, including Pak 'n Save and New World, in the past year.
Fresh vegetable supplies had been impacted by cold, wet weather.
"We expect our fresh vegetable supplies to become more consistent when spring arrives, bringing better weather," said Laird.
President of produce industry body United Fresh, Jerry Prendergast said the major growing area of Pukekohe in Auckland had a year's worth of rain in the first five months of 2017, which contributed to inconsistent flushes of fresh vegetables.
"In the last 10 days we've actually seen a reasonable flush of broccoli and cauliflower. But they are going to be incredibly short for the next two weeks."
As a result, shoppers could expect price hikes. Prices of leafy greens including spinach and lettuce have also risen as heavy rain drains nutrients out of the soil and damages leaves.
Prendergast said about 80 per cent of New Zealand's kumara crop was grown in Northland where Cyclones Cook and Debbie caused significant damage in April.
As a result, kumara prices have jumped from about $4.99 to $8.99 a kg.
Former My Kitchen Rules New Zealand judge and executive chef of top Auckland restaurants The Grove and Baduzzi, Ben Bayly was all for frozen vegetables.
"We always have [frozen vegetables] on standby at home just for pure ease of use let alone affordability," Bayly said.
"Always fresh is best, but I think frozen vege gets a bad name when it shouldn't."
Bayly said his go-to vegetable from the freezer was peas. He uses them to make a French dish called Petit Pois a la Francaise - French-style peas.
"It takes like a couple of seconds to do. It's so delicious and it goes awesome with steak, chicken, lamb, fish. It goes awesome with anything."
"It's about diversifying this time of year and going 'okay cool. Our green vege we are going to get from the freezer'," said Bayly who believed you could lift a dish made from frozen vegetables by adding fresh, seasonal produce for vibrancy.
Ben Bayly's Petits Pois a la Francaise recipe
• 250g Bacon, cut into chunks
• Olive oil 20mls
• 1 leek, white part finely sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic sliced
• 50g unsalted butter
• 500g frozen baby peas, defrosted
• 100ml of cream
• 1 cos lettuce, finely sliced
• Handful of chopped mint
Method
In a large saute pan fry the bacon in little olive oil until crispy. Add the garlic the leek and the butter, season with little salt and pepper & cook until soft.
Add the peas to the pan, pour over the cream and heat through.
Add the finely sliced cos lettuce (or any other lettuce you have on hand) and mint, fold through then serve.
