On Tuesday, cauliflowers were priced at $9.99 each at Centre City New World in Dunedin.
Cheaper cauliflowers were available just down the road at Countdown for $6.99, while the Hillside Road Pak'n Save fell short of its aim to deliver ''New Zealand's lowest food price,'' selling caulis for $7.99 per head.
The cheapest were found at Veggie Boys for just $4.99.
Other vegetables also selling for more than usual include mushrooms, with the portobello variety costing $18.79 per kg at New World this week.
Veggie Boys Albany St owner Marty Hay said he was able to offer lower cauliflower prices by buying from local wholesalers.
Most of New Zealand's cauliflower are grown in the North Island. Pukekohe market gardener Kiran Hari blamed high humidity up north in late January and early February for the sky-high prices.
''People can't handle it, let alone veggies.''
Mr Hari said there was no recovering from the muggy conditions, and his cauliflowers went rotten in the ground.
''Only 50 out of 1000 survived.''However, humidity levels were dropping and prices were expected to follow suit, Mr Hari said.
Ettrick Gardens owner Heather Preedy agreed cauliflower was a fickle plant, but said since Cyclone Gita broke the drought last month her garden had been going well.
''Veggie-wise it's now a good year.''
Mrs Preedy will be at the Otago Farmers Market this Saturday as usual, and said her best deals include pumpkin and orange squash, going for $3 each.
A report this month by Consumer NZ recommends shopping seasonally to save money in the produce aisle.
Currently, kiwifruit, mandarins and mushrooms were usually at or near their most expensive price, the consumer organisation said. Apples and brussels sprouts were usually at their cheapest during autumn.
The report also found prices for bananas, onions, oranges, pineapples and potatoes are generally steady year-round.
Related Stories
Comments
Thanks to the rise in supermarkets in the 1970s the market gardens on the Taieri have all but disappeared.. The rich productive soils are still there but we need to give a new generation of growers the opportunity to produce our vegetables locally.