Vegetables Planted Since Cyclone Gabrielle Are Filling Supermarket Shelves But Growers Say They Have A New Problem

Vegetables planted since Cyclone Gabrielle are filling supermarket shelves but growers say they have a new problem – convincing shoppers to buy them. Chair of the Gisborne Growers Association Calvin Gedye says there are a lot of vegetables on shelves and prices should come down, but it seems shoppers’ appetite for them has dwindled. Gedye says sales in his own stores have halved over the last two weeks and demand from other retail stores he supplies is also lower. Leaderbrand GM Richard Burke says Consumer perception about the price of vegetables is a challenge the industry faces. He says news headlines of high priced vegetables has put consumers off. Head of produce for Foodstuffs North Island Brigit Corson says there has been an increase in the sale of frozen vegetables since the start of the pandemic with customers using their freezers more and buying more frozen products. Frozen vegetables are cheaper than fresh produce and often imported.