BANANA SHORTAGE

Countdown supermarkets are warning customers of limited banana stocks over the next two weeks. New Zealand is in the midst of a nationwide banana shortage after a banana boat broke down off the coast of Ecuador. Signs put up around Countdown stores in Auckland told customers each store was limited to 10 boxes of fair-trade organic loose bananas a day until the next shipment was due to arrive. Antoinette Laird, a spokeswoman for Foodstuffs, which owns NewWorld and Pak ‘n Save, said it was unaffected by the banana boat delay. Banana supplies were also short in March 2014. Bananas were the nation’s favourite fruit that year, with New Zealanders spending $143 million on them, $37m more than apples.