Fruit and vege prices continue to rise

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Fri, 26 Aug 2011 7:00p.m.

The humble spud is a household staple, and like almost everything on sale, it's on it's way up.

But it's not because we don't do a fine job of growing them.

Glen Forsyth was born into the produce industry.

These days he grows tomatoes, capsicums and blueberries and says the only problem with New Zealand produce is we often can't grow enough of it, and such shortages leave New Zealand consumers at the mercy of overseas supply.

Watch the video.

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Comments

10 Oct 2011 03:01p.m.

frank weller wrote:

What about the quality of the 'fresh' fruits an veggies? Just the time involved in shipping is enough to sicken! Never mind the chemicals used in growing and defending against pests. Another thing; My wife bought a leg of lamb last week. On checking the label I found it was from Australia! What on earth is going on???? We have more sheep than they do! Plus a hellova lot better!!

05 Sep 2011 06:42a.m.

Mike wrote:

Produce is hard work so few will want to do it. That is one reason why prices have gone up.

The rise of produce prices is also as a direct response to growing labour costs from the raising of the minimum wage in the last 10 years. People complain, but forget the reasons why which caused the problem which they supported.

Raising the minimum wage raised produce prices - plain and simple. There is always seasonal price variation, and bad weather will reduce supply etc. NZ has an open market so imports get in easily so we need to produce more efficiently than overseas to compete even locally.

We have anti-NZ campaigns. Eg Mike with the anti-NZ pork campaign where NZ had over 85% compliance with the industry moving towards no permanent sow crates, while overseas there is less compliance but Mike wasn't campaigning against those - it was an anti NZ Pork campaign! Whats a little illegal entry criminal action by criminals in NZ if they have a political axe to grind?

NZ growers produce some of the best produce in NZ, have to work very hard to compete, and when they do, they have tabloid TV whine about them when they have decent stories to run.

27 Aug 2011 05:25p.m.

ian wrote:

I wonder-- the vagaries of weather,grower know how,choice of crop etc etc, can all reduce the quantity/quality of the harvest.This we know of and accept readily.
I wonder-- if the large number of Asian growers now active through out the industry does not bring as a cultural habit, a harder price bargaining a the farm gate.If so well done ,the middle man [whole- saler /retailer]will need to revise their profit margins to a more reasonable level.