Expect to pay more for fruit and veg: Horticulture NZ

President and Chairman of Directors of Horticulture New Zealand, Andrew Fenton. Photo / Alan Gibson

New Zealanders are going to have to get used to paying more if they want to buy New Zealand grown fresh fruit and vegetables, says Horticulture New Zealand president Andrew Fenton.

He told the industry's annual conference in Auckland today the biggest challenge facing growers was to provide quality fresh produce at profitable rates.

"The immediate reality is a hard message to deliver. But it must be said.

"New Zealand consumers are going to have to pay more, because it costs more to produce the same quality and quantity of fruit and vegetables.

"Plus we are facing an unprecedented assault from cheap imported fresh and processed food from offshore."

Mr Fenton warned that if the industry here was unable to grow profitably then it would not be long before New Zealand imports all of its fruit and vegetables from lower cost producers.

"That is a despicable thought but this could be a reality during this decade if the perception of consumers is not changed from `buying cheap produce' to paying a fair price, as they do overseas."

- NZPA