A berry-growing ‘‘season from hell'' across New Zealand caused a buying frenzy of strawberries and raspberries in Dunedin yesterday.
Otago Farmers Market Trust general manager Kate Vercoe said the Christmas market at Dunedin Railway Station was set to open at 7am, but customers began buying from 6.15am.
The market was ‘‘heaving'' until 8.30am.
Strawberries and raspberries sold out quickly because everyone wanted them and supply was short, she said.‘‘It's been the season from hell.''
Foodstuffs spokeswoman Antoinette Laird said there was a shortage of raspberries, blackberries, boysenberries and strawberries due to recent adverse weather and demand for the berries was ‘‘very high''.
Countdown general manager of merchandise Chris Fisher said fewer strawberries were available in New Zealand this season because of cold, dry winds in strawberry-growing areas.
Butler's Berry Farm co-owner Donald Butler, of Makikihi, said he was not selling berries at the Christmas market in Dunedin yesterday because rain on Tuesday had halted picking.
Berries turned to ‘‘mush'' if picked in the rain, he said.
The demand for strawberries was so strong, several disappointed Dunedin residents drove to Waimate yesterday to buy freshly picked fruit.
‘‘They've driven 150km to buy strawberries picked this morning. The poor buggers have spent $60 on fuel to get up to our place. It's just unbelievable.''
Willowbank Orchard owner John Gilchrist, of East Roxburgh, and son Pete, of Dunedin, were the only vendors selling strawberries at the Christmas market yesterday.
The strawberries were all gone by 6.30am. McArthur's Berry Farm owner Steve McArthur, of Outram, said raspberry sales were ‘‘frantic'' at the market yesterday.
‘‘We couldn't get them out fast enough ... it was pretty full on.''The raspberries were sold out by 8.30am.
Because of recent cold weather, raspberries were ripening later than usual and he expected the fruit to be ‘‘flush'' for picking next week.
Fifty workers were picking raspberries at his Outram farm and the teenagers would be back at work today.
Ettrick Gardens co-owner Heather Preedy said she only had a few pottles of raspberries, and no strawberries, to sell at the market yesterday.
The season had been ‘‘very frustrating'' with cold nights and severe frosts stalling berry growth: ‘‘It's going to be a long, drawn-out season, [with] a very long, drawn-out flowering on the berries.''
