Produce experts are warning the low levels of light over the last few months, coupled with a crop failure in 2022, is adding up to a shortage of fresh tomatoes in the market this winter.
“Tomatoes are normally in shorter supply through the winter months because they’re out of season, but this year we’re going to be even shorter again,” said Jerry Prendergast, General Manager of Key Accounts at MG Produce Group, a co-operative of 400 New Zealand produce growers.
The ‘no-mato’ problem can be attributed to a couple of factors. Tomatoes are grown in hothouses in New Zealand all year round. Keen gardeners will know the fruit converts sunlight into energy, which helps the tomatoes to grow. Over the last few months, New Zealand's sunshine hours have been comparatively low, so the current winter crop hasn’t thrived as well as in previous years.
The other main factor is a previous crop failure, said Prendergast.
“Many New Zealand growers are getting back into the planting cycle, but it takes time to build things up again, and this, plus low light over the last few months, is contributing to the tomato shortage we’re seeing right now.”
He continued that the fresh tomato supply in Australia wasn’t that flash either, therefor New Zealand would not b able to rely on much respite coming from across the ditch to bolster supply, if any.
Brigit Corson, responsible for the sourcing of all things fruit and veg at the Foodstuffs North Island co-operative, the team behind PAK’nSAVE, New World and Four Square, has raised the flag early to let customers know tomato supply was going to be tight this year, which will impact on the per KG prices.
Brigit Corson
“Growers are telling us we’re going to be short on supply until at least September,” said Corson.
She added that it was simply a supply and demand balance. When produce is in plentiful supply, prices are generally lower.
However, Corson said it wasn’t all gloomy on the fresh fruit and vegetable front. Carrots are in plentiful supply, as well as brown onions and pumpkins. Corson suggested using the vegetables and fruits in plentiful supply to create an in-season vegetable soup.
“So let’s give away the gazpacho for winter and get into some nice in-season veggie soup.”
