Vege price rise to linger around until August

Families and eateries struggling with high vegetables prices can get them than supermarkets at the popular Whangarei Growers Market on Saturdays. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

cheaper at the popular Whangarei Growers Market on Saturdays.
PHOTO/SUPPLIED

High vegetable prices resulting from a wet autumn have forced families and eatery owners in Northland to change their menus and are predicted to last until August.

Statistics NZ figures show vegetable prices have risen 31 per cent since May last year, with lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage recording the steepest increases.

Others such as spring onion, avocados and kumara are also expensive.

The high prices are a result of a wet autumn this year contrasting with warmer-than-usual weather and cheap prices last year.

Some high-priced items like lettuce are crucial for salads and Statistics NZ said the average price of a 500g lettuce was $5.28 in May, compared with $2.12 in May last year, and tomatoes and broccoli were also expensive.

Whangarei Growers' Market manager Robert Bradley said the present shortage of some vegetables was purely a climate-derived problem which he guessed would last until August.

"We've had three unexpected heavy rains in autumn that destroyed certain crops. Growers also lost a lot of autumn planting and they can't replant now because the light and temperature are low to get that growth.

The growth of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and to a certain extent spring onion and spinach were mostly affected during what he called "warm rain" in February.

Cauliflower was selling at $8 each about a month ago but prices have come down to about $5 while spring onions are $1.50 a bunch.

"It's hard to see prices going down much before August. This is an unusually high price rise and part of the reason is the timing of bad weather in autumn."

Mr Bradley said it was pretty clear to those trading at the growers' market that people were taking advice on healthy eating habits and consuming a lot of vegetables.

He said restaurant owners should adjust their menus according to what was available and at affordable prices during the season.

In supermarkets, broccoli is going for between $2.50 and $3 a head, cauliflower from $5 to $7, pak choi cabbage is about $3.50, spring onion is priced between $2.50 and $3 a bunch.

Iceberg lettuces are selling for between $2.50 to $3 while baby leaf lettuces are going for between $5 and $5.50 a bag.

Charn Tiebtienrat, manager of Suk Jai Thai Restaurant in Kensington, said his staff used alternative vegetables in some dishes while ensuring the taste of food was not affected.

"Cauliflower for example was $8 each four or five weeks ago, which we couldn't afford to buy. Lettuce is also expensive so we buy salad vege mix from the supermarket."

He said his business has not been affected with changes to certain menus because his customers understood the situation.

Jas Singh, owner of Shiraz Indian Restaurants in Whangarei, Kamo, and Dargaville, said he has not changed the menu or increased prices as yet but would have to reconsider if the high cost of vegetables continued for long.

"We buy in bulk from the Saturday market so it's a bit cheaper so we still get the vegetables we need but the cost is a lot higher at this time.

"This year's price rise on some vegetables is a lot higher than the usually increases seen during the winter months," he said.

Kumara, he said, was another staple diet which was expensive because of a shortage.

His Dargaville restaurant uses kumara in pizza.