Tough growing season drives eye-watering onion prices in New Zealand

Onions are currently more expensive than usual due to a tough growing season and the increased price of fertiliser and diesel. One retailer says the humble brown onion has gone up 200 percent, and as for the red onion, it's even more expensive. Stats NZ figures released on Saturday showed fruit and veg prices had jumped 17 percent on this time last year, with food price increases the highest in almost a decade and a half. Onions New Zealand chief executive James Kuperus told Checkpoint a tough growing season has contributed to the high price of onions. "It was very dry last December and January, which has led to a decrease in yield." Supply is tight as New Zealand is at the end of last season's crop, and the new season's crop is about to be harvested, he added. A decreased yield means onions cost about 72 cents a kilo more than at this time last year, Kuperus said. Other costs have also gone up and some of this has been passed on, he continued. "We've had fertiliser prices go up ...