The price of a variety of vegetables has dropped this week, a welcome relief for Kiwi consumers and the growers ahead of the Food Price Index being released this week.

Vegetable producers, LeaderBrand say that the price drop is a combination of a welcomed recovery from weather events, warmer temperatures and plenty of supply across the market.

Richard Burke, LeaderBrand CEO says that large volume of broccoli has meant that consumers will start to reap the benefits of lower prices.

'Broccoli is $2 a head this week and should be similar next week. That's a big difference to where we were a couple of weeks ago.

'We're committed to delivering high-quality, locally grown produce, and will continue to work closely with retailers to ensure that when we have good supply, that prices can be reduced.

'Our team has been working extremely hard to get the farm back and operating at capacity since the cyclone and other weather-related damage. We're proud of the team's efforts and we hope that Kiwis will welcome the lower prices,” he says.

The decrease in fresh vegetable prices is a positive development for consumers and perfecting timing for the winter months when we all need a boost of vitamins and minerals to ward off colds and sickness.

'We hate seeing Kiwis not being able to buy fresh produce. We know that vegetables are an essential part of a healthy and balanced diet and winter is an important time to dose up on immunity which is rich in fresh vegetables.

'In the coming weeks, we really hope that Kiwis will take advantage of the lower prices such as broccoli, iceberg lettuce, spinach and plenty of other vegetables across the fresh aisles,” he says.

Consumers should start to see more stable pricing as growers around the country start to get back to normal planting and harvesting schedules.