Warnings vege prices could soar due to freshwater regs

A new report warns the way local councils are applying government freshwater rules will hamstring vegetable production and could lead to sharp price rises for consumers. The report, for Horticulture NZ by the Institute of Economic Research, gives the example of broccoli going as high as 27 dollars a kilo - that's about 9 dollars a head - if vegetable production is cut by 20 percent as a result of regulations aimed at reducing nitrogen run-off. Horticulture NZ has long advocated for a National Direction for Vegetables which would give commercial vegetable growers priority when it came to allocating land use, and says the new report backs this up. Michelle Sands, general manager for strategy and policy at Hort NZ, says growers do not want to see freshwater outcomes undermined , and they are well-prepared to meet freshwater farm plan requirements.