Latest Market Trends and Changes

Latest Market Trends and Changes

Fruit

• Braeburn apples are now available with volumes increasing daily. Prices are still firm for early season varieties. Also, good supplies of Regal, Royal Gala and NZ beauty.

• Apricots – Last week of the main varieties Cutha Gold and Clutha Star which are obviously all South Island fruit. Peaches have lifted in price with Golden Queen varieties being the best buying and value for money.

• Peaches – Still in good supply for this week. All South Island fruit.

• Pears – New season Packham and Beurre Bosc pears are now in good supply. This is the last week for red pears.

• Plums – Still good volumes of Freedom and Fortune available. Black Doris and omega are 1 – 2 weeks away.

• Strawberries – NZ fruit is still available in small numbers though supply will be inconsistent. USA strawberries will be available end of March.

• Watermelons are in good supply and there will be another three weeks until the NZ season will taper off very quickly.

• NZ limes are now available.

• USA Navel oranges are now available along with NZ Valencias.

• Passionfruit is now available.

• NZ Honeydew melons are now available and are in good supply.

• South Island raspberries have finished for the season.

Vegetables

• Snow pea pods are finished until the imports begin which could be another couple of months away.

• Spinach pricing still remains firm. Volumes are down due to low crop yields as a lot of product has been melting in the fields.

• Broccoli and cauliflower have both become short as they are just not growing. Broccoli volumes will increase as Pukekohe growers crops start. At present Wellington and Palmerston North are the two biggest suppliers for the North Island.

• Courgettes have increased in price due to South Island shortages.

• Pumpkin – new season now available which should make a difference to the quality, except some may not be quite ripe.

• Gourmet potatoes are still in good supply.

• Celeriac is now available but at a price.

• Fennel bulb seems to be in good supply again.

• Red kumara are in good supply and quality at the moment with the new season.

• White button mushrooms very short – One of the biggest suppliers of mushrooms has been supplied the wrong seeds. Instead of white he was supplied with brown, so for the next three weeks there will be a shortage of white and a surplus of brown!