The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Premium
Home / The Country

Avocado? More like 'avocad-no' as fruit shortage and price hike hits Tauranga

Jean Bell
By Jean Bell
Multimedia journalist·Bay of Plenty Times·
13 May, 2019 05:01 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

K-Sushi shop owner Essie Park says she is struggling to get enough avocados. Photo / George Novak

K-Sushi shop owner Essie Park says she is struggling to get enough avocados. Photo / George Novak

Tauranga cafes have pulled long-time dishes and sushi shops are directly canvassing local orchard owners as avocado supplies plummet and prices soar across the country.

Of the three Tauranga supermarkets Bay of Plenty Times visited, only one had avocados in stock, which sat at a pretty price of $5.99 each.

This follows the New Zealand Herald reporting last week the price of avocados in Auckland had soared past the $10 mark, with the fruit sporting a $12.50 price tag at a Remuera greengrocer on May 7.

K-Sushi shop owner and avocado fan Essie Park was scrambling to get avocados and had contacted multiple growers in Te Puna as her supply was running short.

The shop was still serving sushi with big slices of avocado thanks to a "big box" of the revered fruit stowed in the chill room earlier in the year, but this was quickly dwindling.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Park said she had recently contacted multiple growers around Te Puna to ask if they had any stock, but she did not have any luck and was waiting for the new season.

Pluto Soup Juice and Salad Bar manager Sarah Yabsley said the eatery had pulled its chicken and avocado salad for the first time ever due to the price hike.

"We had to change it because we weren't getting them in and when we were getting them in, they were rock solid.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"You can't really leave them out of a smoked chicken and avocado salad, you know."

"It's just too crazy ... we couldn't help it, we tried."

Discover more

Business

Holy guacamole: $10 for a single avocado

06 May 09:54 PM

The Country - Avocado edition

07 May 01:00 AM
Retail

Avocadolypse: New record as retailer advertises avocado for $12.50

07 May 09:03 PM

From Aussie jackeroo to Dunedin consultant

14 May 03:53 AM

New Zealand Avocado chief executive Jen Scoular said prices fluctuated throughout the season, as with all fresh produce.

Crop volumes and supply can vary season to season and the last season ran from June 2018 to March this year, meaning there was a very low supply of avocados until the new season began.

She expected to see new season Hass avocados available shortly.

Foodstuffs New Zealand, whose brands included Pak'n Save and New World, head of external relations Antoinette Laird said the supply declined according to the season.

Yesterday , Pak'n Save Tauranga was selling avocados for $5.99 each while a reporter was told New World Brookfield had no avocados in stock.

A Countdown spokesperson said avocado prices were driven purely by seasonality as the fruit was not imported and relied on local production.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Prices were expected to go down later in the month when the next harvest began, she said.

The spokesperson said avocados at stores in the Upper North Island were $5.50 each where available, compared to $5 each in the Lower North and South Islands.

Countdown on Cameron Rd had no avocados in stock when a reporter visited yesterday.

Gate Pā-based The Fresh Market founder David Stewart said it was perfectly normal for the supply of the seasonal fruit to drop towards winter.

He said the shop had a small amount of stock and there might be some reed avocados coming from up north next week.

He said he was selling the fruit for $6 a pop.

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from The Country

The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim

The Country

City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land

The Country

The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim
The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim

Jock Davies was remembered for his infectious humour, caring nature and great strength.

14 Jul 04:21 AM
City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land
The Country

City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land

14 Jul 03:16 AM
The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath
The Country

The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath

14 Jul 02:16 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP