Fruit and veggie prices could be set to increase. Photo / 123RF
Fruit and veggie prices could be set to increase. Photo / 123RF
New Zealand's supply of fresh fruit and vegetables is falling short of demand and Horticulture New Zealand is warning there could be shortages of domestically grown food in the future.
A combination of extreme weather events and the expansion of urban development into farm land has created the "perfect storm"for a fruit and vegetable supply shortage.
"Prime fruit and vegetable growing land is being squeezed by rapid growth in towns and cities and high demand for new housing," Hort NZ chief executive Mike Chapman said in a statement on Thursday.
"Changes in weather patterns and extreme unseasonal weather events are becoming more frequent and damaging, impacting the supply and consequently, the price of fresh, healthy food."
Hort NZ is proposing a national strategy for managing the supply of New Zealand's fruit and vegetables.
"Things are changing fast, so we need to look closely at our domestic food supply and be sure that town, city and regional planning decisions are seen in the context of impacting the whole of New Zealand's food supply," Mr Chapman said.
"We need to future-proof the resources required to supply food to our growing population."
- NZN A Hort NZ report showed that production levels are already below the levels of domestic consumption.
