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Speaker 1: We are shopping for groceries. The prices are rising, they

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Speaker 1: have been for some time, but not as quickly as

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Speaker 1: they have been. Latest data shows a two point seven

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Speaker 1: percent increase compared to June last year, down from two

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Speaker 1: point nine percent of May and three percent in April.

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Speaker 1: The cost increases for fresh produce are less intense than

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Speaker 1: a year ago, but have increased by one point two percent,

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Speaker 1: and Vegetables Chair John Murphy joins me, Now, how John, morning, Andrew,

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Speaker 1: what's driving these cost increases?

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Speaker 2: Well, I'd note the produces at the lower end of

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Speaker 2: a departments that are surveyed there, So that's good news

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Speaker 2: of vegetable produces and shows that people can add one

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Speaker 2: more vegetable a little easier than other areas. But I

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Speaker 2: think it's important to know that most of these are

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Speaker 2: lower than general inflation out there, So producers are actually

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Speaker 2: really hurting because they're still facing those higher inflation costs

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Speaker 2: across the board, but managing to actually deliver to concerners.

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Speaker 2: So I'll keep are.

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Speaker 1: They of their margins to enable them to go at

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Speaker 1: less than inflation?

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Speaker 2: Oh? Certainly, vegetable growers are and I think you said

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Speaker 2: earlier survive till twenty five. There's certainly a feeling of

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Speaker 2: that in the vegetable industry, and I mean for us,

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Speaker 2: supplying demands the big thing there. So basically we've been

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Speaker 2: turning out more vegetables for New Zealanders and that's what

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Speaker 2: we want to do. We want people to eat more vegetables,

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Speaker 2: and particularly during school holidays normally strangely enough to dip

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Speaker 2: sales and the school holidays when it probably should go

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Speaker 2: the other way. But tough times out there, and particularly

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Speaker 2: when you start to look at things like interest costs,

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Speaker 2: they are really starting to hurt.

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Speaker 1: So yeah, you say we've got to produce more vegetables,

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Speaker 1: what really matters is the season. What really matters is

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Speaker 1: the weather, and as I've seen it, there's been a long, hot,

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Speaker 1: dry summer and good grain conditions.

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Speaker 2: Yes, yes there has been, but there has been a

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Speaker 2: determined effort after some whatsis last year meant that we

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Speaker 2: didn't have nothing the market, and many of those were

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Speaker 2: beyond our control. So the various cyclones we had really

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Speaker 2: did hurt that supply. So yes, it's been a good

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Speaker 2: growing season and there's some really good buying out there,

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Speaker 2: So we'd actually encourage people to look to the vegetable

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Speaker 2: part of the supermarket to actually improve their budgets and

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Speaker 2: improve their health.

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Speaker 1: And what about the labor market for the sector? Are

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Speaker 1: they getting the hands to do the picking?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, I think it's a lot better than it

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Speaker 2: was a couple of years ago. So there are more

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Speaker 2: people out there, but that's an ongoing concern. I think

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Speaker 2: the good thing is that there's so many opportunities in

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Speaker 2: the vegetable sector right now, so there's some really good

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Speaker 2: professional salary and waged positions for people. And as I

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Speaker 2: said earlier, our mission is to supply free, she healthy

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Speaker 2: vegetables to New Zealand, and they're out there at the moment.

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Speaker 2: If people look for those items that are on special

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Speaker 2: and in abundance, they will always do well from them.

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Speaker 1: Are you feeling confident though? For the growers? You know,

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Speaker 1: as you say, as I said, as everyone says survived

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Speaker 1: till twenty five? Will they Could they even thrive to

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Speaker 1: twenty five?

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Speaker 2: Oh? Well, look there's always the prospect of that, And

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Speaker 2: I mean we're a pretty resilient bunch, but it is

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Speaker 2: definitely a hard winter for us. And look, we feel

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Speaker 2: for people out there as well. It's hard out there.

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Speaker 2: At the moment, but our mission is pretty clear. We

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Speaker 2: want people during the school holidays to get in there

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Speaker 2: with their families and look for new things to do.

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Speaker 2: So look at all the things we're trying to do

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Speaker 2: to push consumption. But it's hard when there's not much

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Speaker 2: money in people's pockets.

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Speaker 1: Sure enough, John, or power to your growing hand, and

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Speaker 1: I thank you so much for your time today and

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Speaker 1: your expertise. Get out there and buy your veggies and

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Speaker 1: your fruit, John Murphy, who is The Vegetable's New Zealand Chair.

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