The price of cauliflower is expected to come down this week. Photo / Supplied
As food prices continue to rise, the Herald has started a new weekly series - The Veggie Index - highlighting this week’s good value fruit and vegetables.
With the help of United Fresh, a non-profit produce industry association, the series aims to help readers know which fruit and veggies are a good buy that week and why.
Each week, United Fresh will provide their picks of the best fruit and vegetables on supermarket shelves. The following suggestions are valid until the middle of this week.
United Fresh president Jerry Prendergast said cauliflower has been very short supply in recent times - and in some cases over the past four to five weeks - there has been no supply available.
“With the crop plantings in the ground over the past 12 weeks, weather conditions for producing cauliflower have been perfect - plenty of water and mild weather.
“Cauliflower has flushed significantly with a large portion of the crop coming on earlier than expected with more than usual coming on together.”
Prendergast said retail prices were expected to be around $3.50-$5, depending on where you lived in New Zealand. There might be higher prices around, but it was coming down, he said.
“Take advantage of this price now as cauliflower is volatile in terms of supply swings and is likely to go back up as quickly as it has come down.”
Prendergast said now was the “peak period for purchasing” feijoas with fruit in plentiful supply.
Prices per kg could reach as low as $5 at retail, however most pricing would sit around $7, he said.
“These are one of a few true seasonal fruit - as they are not able to be long-term stored, unlike apples or kiwifruit.”
Gold kiwifruit were now plentiful and will be priced at around $5-6 per kg, Prendergast said.
“Around 98 per cent of all kiwifruit is exported. Now until July is the best-priced time for this fruit and we can expect the retail price to sit just below what they are retailing for currently through to July.”
Prendergast said there was also a good supply of red kiwifruit on the domestic market this season, but it would only be only be available for the coming weeks.
“If you want to have a point of difference in your favourite dessert this is the time to do it - red kiwifruit will only be available for the coming weeks - it is not plentiful though to the end of the year like green and gold kiwifruit.”
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