Watermelons could cost as much as $20 this season as shortages hit consumers in the pocket.
It comes as overseas growers are dealing with a disease that attacks the plants.
Growers here will come to the rescue, but warn stock will be limited and prices high.
An Awanui farm in the Far North is one of the only growers in the country harvesting melons right now and demand is high.
“Everyone’s been ringing for the last two weeks and we're only just starting now,” Awanui grower Poo Masters told 1 NEWS.
At this time of year our watermelons usually come from overseas, but that supply's been shut down due to bio-security concerns in the supply from Australia and Tonga.
A live fruit fly was found in a recent shipment from Tonga and the green bottle mosaic virus has been detected in Australian melons.
This means Kiwis will be facing high prices at the supermarket for watermelons this year, with decent sized ones costing around $20.
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