A short supply of avocados has some Dunedin residents willing to pay $8 for the scarce fruit.
But never fear, avocado lovers, a bumper crop is expected next season and prices are expected to fall.
New Zealand grown avocados were on sale at Centre City New World in Dunedin for $7.99 last week.
New World spokeswoman Antoinette Laird said an error last week had avocados ticketed at the incorrect price of $7.99. However, shoppers who took avocados to the checkout were charged the correct price of $4.99.
Yesterday, an avocado at the supermarket cost $5.49.
Pole to Pole Fresh Ltd owner Todd Abrahams, of Te Puke, supplies avocados to Foodstuffs supermarkets, such as New World.
He saw an avocado for sale for $5.99 in Christchurch this year, the highest price he had seen in the 15 years since he began selling the fruit.
"People are paying $6 a piece, which I'm amazed at.''
The New Zealand avocado crop, mostly grown in Northland and Bay of Plenty, was in short supply because more of it was being exported to Australia.
"A lot of guys ramped up their exports into Australia because the values were unbelievable and that has left the New Zealand market high and dry.''
Growers who normally left fruit on the trees to harvest between March and May had exported to Australia in January and February, he said.
To compound the supply problem, the New Zealand avocado crop was "lighter'' in volume than last year.
However, avocado crops alternated between "heavy and light'' seasons.
"This coming summer we are staring down the barrel of the biggest crop we have ever seen.''
Avocados would be cheaper when the season started in July.
Veggie Boys co-owner Barry Gazeley, of Dunedin, said
some Dunedin sushi outlets wanted to buy 400 avocados a week but the limited supply meant he could not fill orders.
He expected an avocado would cost under $2 in a year.
