Zucchini prices hit record $21 a kilo

Monday, 13 July 2020

The cost of courgettes has jumped 74 per cent.

A ban on imports of zucchini from Queensland has sent the cost of ratatouille through the roof.

Prices for zucchini, also known as courgettes, jumped 74 per cent to an all-time high of $21.42 a kilogram in June 2020, as imports from the Australian state continue to be barred, Stats NZ said on Monday.

'New Zealand has a limited supply of courgettes around this time of year as the local growing season comes to an end, so we would typically see courgette imports from Australia fill the gap,' consumer prices manager Sarah Johnson said.

But all imports of fresh cucurbit – a plant group including pumpkin, squash, and cucumber as well as zucchini – from Queensland were suspended in December due to the cucumber green mottle mosaic virus.

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The owner of a fruit and vegetable shop in Westport says he's having to let $25,000 dollars worth of produce rot, despite his best efforts to give it away to people in need.

“The suspension is still in place and we are currently waiting for Australia to send us a proposal regarding how they are going to address the issue,” the Ministry for Primary Industries said.

Johnson said zucchini prices tend to peak in September, but the shortage pushed prices to a record high last month.

'We have seen courgette prices briefly top $20 per kilo when imports from Australia were suspended in 2018 for the same virus.

“Foodies may need to look for cheaper substitutes in their recipes like eggplant, pumpkin, or even cabbage.”

Overall vegetable prices were up 7.6 per cent in June, also influenced by seasonally higher prices for tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and zucchini.

These rises were offset by typical falls for winter crops including potatoes, onions, and carrots.

Overall, food prices rose 0.5 per cent in June, with higher vegetable prices partly offset by a 1.8 per cent drop in fruit prices.

Food prices increased 4.1 per cent in the year ended June 2020 with fruit and vegetable prices increasing 10.0 per cent, the largest increase in over three years.