Cauliflowers are now selling for $10 a head due to the turbulent weather of late 2017.
Horticulture New Zealand CEO Mike Chapman told The AM Show Cyclone Gita was just the latest obstacle to growing season.
"That was a very wet, cold winter. Then we had that very dry period just before Christmas. It just hasn't been a great growing time at all. At the moment, what we're seeing is the effects of that weather.
"We've got growers who are 20% down in their production, costing them $100,000 a week. That ripples into their community with their work - there isn't as much work available. We really need the weather to pick up."
Mr Chapman says it's all about climate change.
"We started a couple of years ago talking about this and people just thought we were crazy. Now we're seeing it is an issue.
"When you get heavy rain [young plants] just get destroyed so they can't grow. We've had cases, because of the humid weather, of lettuce bolting to seed before you can even get there to harvest them.
He says growers are desperate for the weather to return to a standard pattern.
Newshub.
