Chilli prices are spicy at $229.99 a kg

Locally grown chilli prices have got spicy – in fact almost too hot to handle – as they tip over more than $220 a kilogram.

The eye-watering price shocked Australian couple Mark and Joanne Radnor, who were sent a photograph of the price at New World Blenheim by their daughter, Emily.

’’We have two daughters in NZ, and travel there when Covid lets us, and the prices in supermarkets in NZ makes our eyes water,’’ Mark said. ‘‘One of our daughters recently sent us a photo of chillies in her supermarket, and I have retorted with one of the chillies in our supermarket, at literally a tenth of the price.’’

The photo showed the New Zealand-grown loose red chillies were $229.9 a kilogram.

Mark’s photo of Australia-grown chillies at his local Woolworths in Wangaratta, Victoria, showed they were selling for AU$26 a kg (NZ$28.92). ‘‘And we’d call that expensive,’’ he said.

A spokesperson for Woolworths in Australia said it had a warmer climate that was better suited to growing chillies and ensuring a supply year-round.

Foodstuffs head of public relations Emma Wooster said locally grown chilies were grown in hothouses and were in short supply this year because of the lack of sunlight and recent cold snap. ‘‘While the per-kilogram price for New Zealand-grown chillies might seem a lot, a little of the hot vegetable goes a long way and customers usually only buy one or two to spice up their meals.’’

Ajay Jina, managing director of Jina’s World of Fresh Produce, said the best thing to do avoid the price hikes was to buy in season, with summer being the cheapest time to buy.

‘‘Buy plenty and freeze them,’’ he said.