And they think Landlords are bad! 100% increase in days

[Keys]

This has been going on for years and yet, it seems to be accepted.

The public are being ripped off every year by increases in excess of 100% over a matter of days:

Where to get berry best

Berries are a yuletide staple in New Zealand – but as prices rise ahead of Christmas, shoppers may find themselves in a jam.
While strawberries sold for as little as $1 a punnet earlier in the season, Canterbury residents out for a berry good deal for the topping of their Christmas pavlova may be disappointed.
The Press canvassed supermarkets and fruit shops yesterday to find the average price and where to get the best deals.
On average, Canterbury cherries were now $19.70 a kilogram, while a standard punnet of strawberries would set you back $3.60 and a 150-gram punnet of raspberries $5.80.
Growers Direct Market in Upper Riccarton boasted strawberries at $2.99 while most supermarkets were selling them for $3.49 or $3.99.
Raspberries were $4.99 a 150g punnet at Pak ’n Save, Countdown and New World, but Gordon Smith & Sons in Victoria St was selling them at a steep $7.99.
Cherries were cheapest at New World, for $18.74 a kilogram.
Pataka Berry Farm and Pottery owner Ian Johnston said prices were driven by ‘‘supply and demand through wholesale outlets’’.
He had been selling punnets of strawberries to supermarkets for $1.80 a punnet earlier last week but by the end they were commanding $4 a punnet.
Prices earlier in the season were largely dictated by strawberries being imported from North Island growers, but these were ‘‘never as good as Canterbury strawberries’’.

Or.
Is it simply supply and demand at work.

[flyernzl]

Oh dear, how sad.

Obviously they need to bring in price control on berries, and also a warrent of fitness check on each berry so the public can be sure that they are getting a product that will not lead to a health hazard.

[Debs]

For an essential item like milk/milk powder I'd be worried. Not berries. I hardly believe the 'public is being ripped off'. More like the supermarkets 'ripping off the growers'. The labour, transportation and other business costs that are incurred by the growers - they deserve every sweet cent.

[eri]

what we really need a is a controlled market in procreative partners

certainly i've complaints about some of the over-priced, under-performing duds i've been sold

[donna]

Supply and demand I say - just like the cost of Roses on Valentines Day versus any other day.

cheers,

Donna

[Perry]

The supply/demand rhetoric doesn't seem to have any regard
to the absence of any adverse impact on the price of all the
cream needed to go with the aforesaid strawberries.