Tomato shortage: Covid-19 uncertainty pushes up price
New Zealand’s supply of tomatoes looks to have been a casualty of Covid-19, data from Stats NZ indicates.
Tomato prices rose 38 per cent in August to a weighted average price of $13.65 a kilogram, an all-time high, Stats NZ said.
‘‘About 40 per cent to 50 per cent of tomatoes are sold to independent grocers, cafes and restaurants, which were unable to open during Covid alert levels 3 and 4 in April,’’ consumer prices manager Nicola Growden said.
Uncertainty about Covid-19 and business restrictions meant many tomato growers delayed planting or replanted fewer crops, Growden said.
‘‘We are now experiencing this supply shortage, which is the main reason for this price rise.’’
Tomato prices tended to follow a very seasonal pattern, peaking in August, she said. ‘‘This peak has been generally trending downwards, but this year tomato prices have climbed to a new high.’’
A significant increase in prices for both the Emissions Trading Scheme and natural gases added extra pressure on winter tomato growers, as costs for heating glasshouses increased, Growden said.
Fruit and vegetable prices rose 3.1 per cent in August, largely influenced by higher tomato prices.
Excluding the effects of tomatoes, fruit and vegetable prices would have been down about 0.8 per cent, Growden said.
Overall food prices rose 0.7 per cent in August.
In general, food prices increased 4.2 per cent in the year ended August, but fruit and vegetable prices increased 19 per cent over that time.
Contributors to higher fruit and vegetable prices included prices for tomatoes and potatoes, which both increased by 37 per cent over the last year. The price of courgettes increased 183 per cent, lettuce 24 per cent, and cucumbers 39 per cent.
‘‘Buying in-season crops or frozen vegetables is typically a more affordable way to get the recommended five-plus a day,’’ Growden said.
‘‘However, the only fresh fruit and vegetable prices that decreased in the year were nectarines, onions, pineapples and olives.’’
Higher fruit and vegetable prices were partly offset by lower prices for chicken pieces, down 8.7 per cent, instant coffee, down 8.6 per cent, and honey, down 23 per cent.
‘‘Tomato prices have climbed to a new high.’’ Nicola Growden, Stats NZ