I bought one NZ red kumara at the veg shop today and it cost nearly $4, $8.99 a kg.
I see that kumara increased in price massively in 2017 because of the wet weather but it doesn't seem to have ever gone down again.
Is there another reason for the high price? Weather still bad up north? Shortage of labour?

It's the same with many other food items, jj, but I agree, vegetables went up and have never come back down again. Other foods that have risen steeply over a short period: Butter - it fluctuates but is never less than $5, and that's usually for a 400g rather than 500g block. About 18 months ago I started buying myself the occasional treat of fresh Salmon when it was on special at $25.99kg. It has crept up over the months and now it's $31.99 on special. My treat is now off the menu. Bread! How quickly that has risen steeply in such a short period? And I've taken to buying trim-milk powder because I can buy 1kg for $9.49 and make it using 10g a litre less than the packet says, thus achieving 11 litres from 1 packet. If I can do this with a processed product, why is the 'raw' product so expensive?

Lorna Wrote:
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... If I can do this with a processed
> product, why is the 'raw' product so expensive?

A raw product is perishable so requires efficient distribution systems and refrigerated storage. A highly processed product like milk powder does not have these expensive requirements.

I've been very disappointed about kumara prices too. I hardly buy it anymore because of the price. I agree that it often seems that weather related price jumps never quite return to normal.

Yes kumara remains high, however I do note that avocado prices are reducing again now, not sure why, because they aren't really in season.

Red kumara $4.50 at Countdown now. Still typically $9 at Pakn'Save/New World so if we refuse to buy it anywhere but Countdown while they have it at $4.50, hopefully the other supermarkets will reduce the price as well and it will remain reduced.

I've noticed they always ramp the price up on Kumara just before Christmas too.

Red and orange kumara $4.50 at both Countdown and PnS in NP today. While avocado prices might be coming down, from my observations it's because they're incredibly small at the moment.
Lynne2