Pumpkin and kumara have hit their highest price in 24 years and lettuce could be next.

According to Statistics New Zealand, pumpkin prices increased 176 per cent in the year to November, reaching $5.78 a kilo, the highest price since the food price series began in December 1993.

Kumara prices increased 83 per cent, reaching a record of $8.99 a kilo. This is up from $4.92 a kilo in November last year.



​But Jina's World of Fresh Produce managing director Ajay Jina said the abnormally dry start to Summer meant fruit and lettuce prices could soar next year.

SUPPLIED Kumara prices jumped 83 per cent in the year to November, to reach a record of $8.99 a kilo.

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"We're facing dry weather now, which will affect stone fruit crops coming through and leafy greens. The growers need rain.

"It might even affect apples for next year."

Jina said poor weather at the start of the year in Northland had led to kumara prices soaring.

"There is a continuing supply, but it's limited," he said.

"When they were planting and harvesting we had too much rain, it rained all through summer and it kept going, and you can't get in the ground when it's that wet."

PIERS FULLER/STUFF Pumpkin pieces are priced at $6.99 a kilo at Countdown Masterton

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Statistics NZ consumer prices manager Matthew Haigh said: "Pumpkin prices have reflected lower supply, with dramatic price increases in the last three months, while kumara prices increased more steadily through the year".

Jina said shoppers may need to rethink Christmas lunch ideas and buy what was in season instead.

"Despite the shortage and high prices there are still plenty of other products that are good buys out there. If you're on budget or watching your wallet buy the products that are in season," he said.

"The beginning to the middle of the year is kumara and pumpkin season."

Auckland City Mission feeds 2000 people on Christmas Day and kumara is a key part of the menu. Last year 240kg of the root vegetable was served.

SUPPLIED The price of a pumpkin in Takanini in November.

Spokeswoman Alexis Sawyers said: "We're very fortunate that the kumara is donated to us by a supplier and they're committed to doing that even though the price is high".

If there were no donations the lunch would still go ahead, but the menu would have to change, she said.

Butter also reached another record high, rising 1.3 per cent in November.

The average price of the cheapest available 500 gram block of butter was $5.74 in November 2017, up from $5.67 in October 2017 and $3.88 in November 2016.

Potato prices increased 19 per cent in the past year and were also a big contributor to a 6.3 per cent overall increase in vegetable prices.



Higher vegetable prices, a 2.3 per cent increase for ready-to-eat foods such as biscuits, cakes, and hot drinks, and a 6.8 per cent increase for fruit, pushed total food prices up 2.3 per cent.



Tomatoes and strawberries had big price falls, down 44 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively.

The average price for tomatoes was $4.32 a kilo in November, down from $7.68 in October.

123RF Butter prices rose another 1.3 per cent in November.

"Although tomato prices dropped considerably this month, they're still at a much higher level than in November 2016 after seeing an annual increase of 27 per cent," Haigh said.



Fruit and vegetable prices rose 1.2 per cent seasonally adjusted.

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