Tomatoes are almost $4 a kilogram more expensive than usual, Stats NZ says. Tomato prices climbed 44 per cent in the year to September, hitting an average weighted price of $13.26 a kilo last month.
These prices rises were largely due to uncertainty during the Covid-19 lockdown in April, when business restrictions meant many growers delayed planting or replanted smaller crops.
Stats NZ consumer prices manager Nicola Growden: "We are now seeing a shortage, three or four months after plantings were reduced, which has led to higher-than-normal prices. The current price of a kilogram of tomatoes is $3.98 more expensive than the previous five-year average for the September months."
While tomato prices soared, the cost of zucchini crashed back to earth from a record average of $29.60 a kilo in July to $12.36 in September. The vegetables, also known as courgettes, were spotted on sale for almost $40 a kilo at a Wellington supermarket earlier this year.
According to an article on stuff.co.nz, the price spike came after imports of some fresh vegetables from the Australian state of Queensland were banned due to a virus.