Chill out: Frozen veg is fine

The sodden winter has hit vegetable crops, causing supermarket shortages and making price rises likely to continue for some weeks.

But there is an alternative — buy frozen. At Countdown Ponsonby, three 500g bags of any Select frozen vegetables cost $4.98. You could also buy the Watties Kiwi Roast Mix of potatoes, pumpkin, carrots and kumara for $4.99 and 1kg of frozen Selectcorn on the cob for just $3. By comparison, fresh kumara would set you back $8.99/kg. Cauliflower were $3.99 each and broccoli $2.79 a head. Baby spinach was $3.49 for 120g.

Countdown spokesperson Kate Porter said there were definite challenges “around the entire country due to the terrible weather”. “We’re doing what we can to ensure we have supply wherever possible, at a good price.”

Porter recommended buying frozen or canned veges, or seasonal seasonal crops such as carrots, potatoes, parsnip, pumpkin and brussel sprouts.

Head of external relations for Foodstuffs Antoinette Laird said frozen vegetable sales have risen by six per cent at Foodstuff’s supermarkets in the past year.

“We expect our fresh vegetable supplies to become more consistent when spring arrives, bringing better weather,” said Laird.

President of produce industry body United Fresh Jerry Prendergast said the major growing area of Pukekohe in Auckland had a year’s worth of rain in the first five months of 2017. As a result, shoppers could expect price hikes. About 80 per cent of New Zealand’s kumara were grown in Northland where Cyclones Cook and Debbie caused significant damage in April. Kumara prices had jumped from about $4.99kg to $8.99kg.