Zucchini prices hit record $21 a kilo

A ban on imports of zucchini from Queensland has sent the cost of ratatouille through the roof. Prices for zucchini, also known as courgettes, jumped 74 per cent to an all-time high of $21.42 a kilogram in June 2020, as imports from the Australian state continue to be barred, Stats NZ said on Monday. "New Zealand has a limited supply of courgettes around this time of year as the local growing season comes to an end, so we would typically see courgette imports from Australia fill the gap," consumer prices manager Sarah Johnson said. But all imports of fresh cucurbit – a plant group including pumpkin, squash, and cucumber as well as zucchini – from Queensland were suspended in December due to the cucumber green mottle mosaic virus. “The suspension is still in place and we are currently waiting for Australia to send us a proposal regarding how they are going to address the issue,” the Ministry for Primary Industries said. Johnson said zucchini prices tend to peak in September, but ...