Why not fair trade produce? If coffee retail outlets can promote their products having paid a ‘fair price’ to the growers internationally why not with domestic growers? As consumers we can have an effect by where we choose to buy, support your local fruit and vegetable store, many centres have weekend markets where producers bring their goods direct.@ Sue Kedgley and John Campbell, this story is about produce prices and not an opportunity to bash the supermarkets over their liquor prices.
Interesting. what i would like to see is further investigation into Foodstuffs. Not only are they ripping off our growers off but would appear this monster supermarket company will not only stop at the growers to increase their power but now they focus onto the transport industry. Foodstuffs now provide their on transport company, Route and Retail and are becoming a force that most players in the market can not compete with. This is a company that approaches all their suppliers to their supermarkets, offer them rates that are below cost to even the large transport providers in the country and leave their suppliers threathened that if they do not use the Foodstuffs transport company then their product will not be allowed on the shelves. This in turn means increased prices on the shelve to the consumer to cover the losses this transport company is certain to make. Is Foddstuffs really a global company or has their stronghold in the market turned them into a bully that will stop at nothing to increase their power in this small country.
I have been shopping more and more at my local Green Grocers, as the prices have just got too expensive in the Supermarket. There is just too big a gap between the price a Grower is paid and the Price a Supermarket is charging - families can't justifiably afford these prices.
its just the same situation with the fish ind on your previous report, your nxt report will be on meat market, (if not already done). Its a prime fat cat situation. All small business get squashed out from dairys, butchers, vegie shops. But its also the automotive ind,fuel,construction ind to which the same thing is happening. Market forces & its almost imposible for us to do anything. But remember everyone the most powerful infulance in this world is us "the public".United we stand.
We dont even get the best pick from the growers, as they have to export the best picks, ie apples. Places like Gisborne get the 3rd pick from the apples grown here. Thats the rubbish pick! So where do supermarkets get off doing mark ups like that? The general public are not even paying the mark up on the best pick! What a joke.
OMG, a retailer adding variable margin on to product to make a profit.
Good on you having looked into supermarket prices in NZ.This is just the tip of the iceberg they also make too much margin on other products as well.If the pulblic new how much supermarkets were making there would be an outcry.The media should get into them an expose there rip offs we are paying too much for our groceries so the supermarket owners can buy bigger launches
Hi thereI have been in contact with Sue Kedgley who suggested that I forward my comments to you re: the supermarket/produce issue. My father is one of the growers who completed the survey. Please find my comments to Sue below:I totally support what you are doing. Mum and Dad are currently contemplating pulling all their apples out as they have made successive losses for the past 4-5 years approximately.It is truly sad that salt of the earth New Zealanders who produce great products can’t find sustainable markets for them especially when the public is calling out for home grown produce. I think that there is a thorough lack of knowledge surrounding produce stemming from inadequate advertising. The general public don’t know for instance, what apples are new season in January/February of each year. They are being totally bamboozled by prior year produce that has been sitting in a controlled environment for up to a year, imported fruit & fruit that has been sprayed with ethrel, which are all being marketed as ‘new season’. These factors alone have a huge and detrimental impact on our local growers who are doing their best to make an honest living with honest produce. I think that there is a real move currently to know where produce has come from and what’s in it i.e. has it been treated with hazardous chemicals and I think that this is wholly positive.I thank you for your efforts and I am truly astounded by the comments of other politicians who are obviously only interested in advancing their own self interest rather that the interest of those who have put them in their positions of power.Keep fighting.RegardsClaire Bradley
i spent 23 years in wholesale fruit n vege markets suppling to the supermarket chains they hold the growers to ransom like they said in your article if we don't sell under cost who do we sell too?? the supermarkets hold the wholesale markets and there by the growers to ransom if nothing is done soon there may well be no fresh fruit n vege industry in new zealand
Nice episode on NZ Fresh produce sellers marking up prices. The problem with NZ fresh produce sellers is similar to the telecommunication industry in NZ. Its mostly a duopoly- wherein 2 major players control the pricing. The telecommunication & internet is controlled by Telecom & Vodafone (much has changed after 2degrees) & the grocery is controlled by Foodstuffs & Progressive. There is no need for an "ombudsman"... just increase the number of retail competitors & the case will solve itself. Regards, Guru.