Vegetable growers in Auckland's rural south say drought conditions are playing havoc with their day-to-day operations and will only add to increased prices for consumers.
Pukekohe vegetable grower Colin Sue says unusually dry conditions over the last couple of years have made it a challenging time for those in the industry and is leading to high prices for consumers. Photo: LDR
It follows the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) declaring the drought a "medium-scale adverse event" in south Auckland and the Waikato on Monday, along with a support package for affected farmers and growers.
South Auckland's horticulture industry is centred on the Pukekohe Hub, 4359 hectares of some of New Zealand's most fertile and productive land.
According to Auckland Council's Climate Action Framework released in 2019 it generates $327 million a year, which is the equivalent of 26 percent of NZ's total domestic value of vegetable production.
Colin Sue is a market gardener in Pukekohe. His company, Set Sue, has been run as a family business since 1968 and grows a range of vegetables.
He said the unusually dry conditions over the past couple of years made it a challenging time for those in the industry.
According to Auckland Council’s Climate Action Framework released in 2019 the Pukekohe Hub generates $327 million a year, which is the equivalent of 26 per cent of NZ’s total domestic value of vegetable production. Photo: LDR
The ongoing drought meant his crops now needed more irrigation than ever, which added to his overheads, Sue said.
"People aren't getting the same yields they were expecting because of the dry weather and that is reflected in the prices people are now paying for vegetables, which are sky high."
But he was trying to remain optimistic.
"Next year we could get a wet season, you just don't know."
Jivan Produce director Bharat Jivan said he was concerned about the effects of climate change on the industry.
The Pukekohe-based family business has been operating in the area for the past 60 years and grows potatoes, onions, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and pumpkins.
Jivan Produce director Bharat Jivan said he is concerned at the effects of climate change on the industry, with higher temperatures and longer dry periods leading to increased growing costs and declining yields. Photo: LDR
"We're finding the dry periods with higher temperatures are lasting a lot longer and it's quite noticeable."
Irrigation was now more important than ever for growers, he said.
"Whereas, if you spoke to my father, he would tell you they never even used to irrigate."
Most growers were now facing increased growing costs and declining yields, e said.
"It's definitely leading to higher prices for vegetables."
But Jivan said there was a limit to how much the public was willing to pay for a sack of spuds.
Pukekohe Vegetable Growers Association president Kylie Faulkner said the unusually dry conditions had hit the local horticulture industry hard.
And growers now had to be more conscious than ever of the changing climate and its impact on what they did, she said.
In a statement the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) director of rural communities and farming support Nick Story said there had been a lack of consistent rainfall since the beginning of the year.
The drought in south Auckland and the Waikato over autumn was taking its toll on the region's primary sector and more support was needed, he said.
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air