Leafy greens will be in short supply in coming weeks after hail blasted crops around Pukekohe, Auckland's main vegetable growing area.
Hail damaged lettuce in a Pukekohe paddock Photo: Supplied
Growers around Pukekohe are still waiting to see the full extent of the damage which was exacerbated by frost the following day.
Pukekohe Vegetable Growers' Association president Kylie Faulkner said it was not unusual to have isolated hailstorms but this time the damage was widespread.
"Right from Pukekohe through to Bombay, we're seeing and hearing of growers having damage.
"We heard of some growers that had early onions in that are potentially going to lose the whole crop and other growers, greens growers in particular, that have had lettuce or broccoli crops in, that have probably lost at least 80 percent of their crop that was ready to harvest."
She said with the wind as well, the "sideways hail" was quite damaging.
"We've got precut salad basically in the paddocks," she said.
As a result of the blast, from this weekend, grocery shelves would be short of leafy greens like Asian vegetables, lettuce, broccoli, silver beet and spinach, according to Faulkner.
Some of the damage might not become apparent for several weeks and had ramifications for supply for the whole of the North Island further down the track, she said.
"It's part of everyday life for us," Faulkner said, adding that it was a blow after two very mild winters in a row.
Pukekohe grower Quong Fong said he had lost two months' income after four hectares of lettuce was shredded in the storm and some of his cauliflower had also been hit.
He said the hail had badly damaged some crops and only "lightly touched" others. He described the spoiling was like somebody had "put a shotgun to the lettuce".
He was planning to replant today.
Johan Fourie manages farms in the area for one of the biggest growers of baby leaf salad.
He said there would definitely be a shortage of that product in about five weeks' time.
"Any damage to a leaf, basically we can't sell that or bag it, so basically, with the hail and the strong winds that accompanied it, leaves were shredded and we basically lost about four hectares of spinach crop."