The great apple crunch: why NZ’s most reliable fruit has become dear and hard to find

Tuesday, 20 January 2026

Dr Nic Lees is a senior lecturer in agribusiness management at Lincoln University.

OPINION: Apples have long been one of New Zealand’s most reliable and affordable fruits. Right now, they are anything but.

Across the country, shoppers are facing apple prices of $5 to $8 a kilo, while many familiar varieties have vanished from supermarket shelves altogether. In some stores, the range has narrowed to just one or two options, often older varieties like Granny Smith, with popular apples such as Gala, Jazz, Envy and Pacific Rose hard to find.

This is not a sudden collapse in apple production or supermarket price gouging. Instead, it is the result of seasonal supply, past weather events and strong export demand all coming together at once.

Apples are harvested once a year, mainly between February and April, then stored to supply the domestic market for the rest of the year. New Zealand is currently in the late-summer gap, when last season’s stored apples are running low and the new crop has not yet arrived in volume.

That gap has been made worse by Cyclone Gabrielle, which severely damaged major apple-growing regions such as Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne in 2023. Large volumes of fruit were lost and thousands of trees destroyed. While replanting is underway, new trees take several years to reach full production, meaning overall supply remains tight.

At the same time, overseas demand for New Zealand apples is exceptionally strong. Because New Zealand supplies global markets when Northern Hemisphere apples are out of season, export buyers are willing to pay high prices for premium fruit. As a result, a significant share of the crop is committed offshore early, leaving less fruit available for the domestic market during this late-summer pinch point.

This helps explain why prices remain high even at discount fruit and vegetable outlets. The issue is not retailers pushing prices up, but a simple shortage of apples. When national supply is tight, supermarkets have limited ability to compete on either price or range.

There is some good news. Growers are forecasting good yields and a high-quality crop for the 2026 harvest. As fresh apples arrive in stores from February, shoppers should start to see more varieties return and better availability, with some easing in prices.

However, prices are unlikely to fall back to the low levels of the past. Costs across the supply chain have increased, and New Zealand apples remain highly sought after in global markets, which continues to influence prices at home.

For now, apples are no longer an everyday purchase for many households, at least until the new season fruit arrives.