Illustrating that the food price issue prevails on both sides of the world, New Zealanders have been told they are going to have to get used to paying more if they want to buy home-grown fresh fruit and vegetables.

Horticulture New Zealand President Andrew Fenton told the industry’s annual conference in Auckland that the biggest challenge facing growers is to provide quality fresh produce at profitable rates. “The immediate reality is a hard message to deliver. But it must be said.

“New Zealand consumers are going to have to pay more, because it costs more to produce the same quality and quantity of fruit and vegetables.

“Plus we are facing an unprecedented assault from cheap imported fresh and processed food from offshore,” Fenton said.

“If our growers are unable to grow profitably then it will not be long before New Zealand imports all of its fruit and vegetables from lower cost producers.

“That is a despicable thought but this could be a reality during this decade if the perception of consumers is not changed from “buying cheap produce” to paying a fair price, as they do overseas.

“New Zealanders enjoy the world’s best quality fruit and vegetables, grown at home in New Zealand, by New Zealanders for New Zealanders.”

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