Statistics New Zealand figures reveal that the country’s consumers spend more on bananas than any other fruit, Radio NZ reports.
The data shows that households spend an annual average of NZ$88 (US$68.50) on bananas, NZ$61 (US$47.48) on apples and NZ$26 (US$20.24) on oranges.
This equates to each person consuming approximately two bananas each week, an average of 18kg annually.
This trend comes despite bananas doubling in price in the last 30 years, although overall food costs in that period have trebled.
The Nutrition Foundation’s Sarah Hanrahan told Radio NZ bananas’ appeal lies in their portability and nutritional value, providing B vitamins and fibre.
