Why an Auckland supermarket ran out of vegetables

  • 10/01/2019

An Auckland supermarket ran low on vegetables this week and it seems extreme weather across the country had something to do with it.

Images taken earlier this week at Countdown's Ponsonby store show the vegetable section with almost empty shelves. Just a few bags of salad were left available to buy. 

"Countdown has run out of vegetables. Absolute madness," Aucklander Eddy Dever said on Instagram after visiting the Williamson Ave store.

Countdown's Ponsonby store had an almost empty vegetable section.
Countdown's Ponsonby store had an almost empty vegetable section. Photo credit: Supplied / Eddy Dever
The reason for the shortage, according to Countdown, was extreme weather.
The reason for the shortage, according to Countdown, was extreme weather. Photo credit: Supplied / Eddy Dever

The reason for the shortage, according to Countdown, was extreme weather.

Kiri Hannifin, Countdown's general manager of corporate affairs and sustainability, said the supermarket had been facing issues with supplies of fruit and vegetables over the past few weeks due to heavy rain in December.

"Fruit and vegetables are very susceptible to weather conditions and we have had a few issues with supply over the last couple of weeks due to the rain before Christmas," she said.

And now that the weather has turned warmer, the demand for salad and meat has increased as barbeque season kicks into gear, putting pressure on supermarkets.

"The warm weather over the last couple of weeks has led to more of us entertaining at night and having BBQ for dinner, so demand for salads and meat has increased a lot," Ms Hannifin said.

The supermarket has apologised for the lack of produce in its store this week, and Ms Hannifin insists it was "an anomaly".

"Fresh fruit and vegetables are restocked every morning so we can assure our customers that things will be back to normal."

Newshub.