Given the excellent harvest season for potatoes, prices have fallen by 16.2 percent in March this year compared to last year, forecasting that this versatile vegetable might now be more frequently used in households nationwide.
According to Foodstuffs North Island’s head of produce and butchery, Brigit Corson, these spuds are a staple item in the shopping basket all year round. Still, reasonable prices across all varieties mean they will likely become a popular option in the coming months.
“We’re seeing great potato yields in this year’s harvest, and abundant supply means good prices for our customers,” said Corson.
“We’re a nation of potato lovers; New Zealand produces more than 600 potatoes each year for every Kiwi, which makes them one of our most popular vegetables.”
Unearthed Produce is one of the leading suppliers of potatoes for the Foodstuffs brand Pams, which can be found in New World, PAK’nSAVE, and Four Square stores.
General manager Ben Buchanan was also happy to see North Island supply rebound after last year’s Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle's significant impact on potato volumes.
“Last year’s growing season was one of the toughest, and this impacted the availability and supply of potatoes through most of 2023. It’s been great, for both growers and consumers, that the 2023/24 summer has provided favourable growing conditions,” said Buchanan.
“We’ve seen a good balance of heat, sunlight, and rain in our key growing regions, which has produced great quality, delicious potatoes with volumes that are back to normal levels. This should translate to good value as we move through the year.”
Potatoes are endlessly versatile and rich in nutrients like fibre, and Vitamin C. Recipes like leek and potato soup or just a simple baked jacket potato topped with tinned tuna and frozen sweetcorn are great options to make the most of the abundant potatoes as we head into the colder months.
