The Veggie Index: Broccoli, cauliflower, and mandarins this week’s best buys in New Zealand

As food prices continue to rise, the Herald has started a new weekly series - The Veggie Index - highlighting this week’s good value fruit and vegetables. With the help of United Fresh, a non-profit produce industry association, the series aims to help readers know which fruit and veggies are a good buy that week and why. Each week, United Fresh will provide their picks of the best fruit and vegetables on supermarket shelves. Cauliflower stays on the last as one of the week’s best buys, joining broccoli and mandarins. United Fresh president Jerry Prendergast said cauliflower was again a good buy this weekend with plentiful supply and expected prices between $3.50 and $5 each. The prices are expected to increase after the weekend. Prendergast says broccoli growing conditions have been “exceptional” for broccoli with the crop being planted after the late January and early February weather events. “Great price and good size heads.” Price points are expected to be between $2 to $2.50 ...