Bokutos, kiwis and apples in the spotlight as a drought causes a massive fruit shortage

NEW YORK — Kiwis, bokutos and apples are in the sights of the world as a severe drought causes huge fruit shortages across Asia.

This is a time of fruit harvest and in this country, the berries have been in short supply for months, with the drought affecting all areas except Hawaii, according to the New Zealand Department of Agriculture.

With many farmers relying on the sale of their fruit and vegetables, the shortage is expected to worsen in the coming weeks, said David Karp, the department’s spokesman.

“In the coming days we will see some very big shortages,” he said.

The shortage has been triggered by the annual monsoon, which typically rains fruit, berries and vegetables in mid-December.

But this year, the rainy season is coming and it is not clear if the monsoon will hit until late January or early February.

According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, some fruit trees are already down by more than 40 percent in Japan, with some in New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia being among those that are down to less than 50 percent.

In Australia, the Government has been putting the blame for the drought squarely on growers and fruit companies, with fruit prices in fruit baskets down 50 percent on average in the past three months, according, according the ABC.

Fruit prices in the U-Shop fruit marketplace, which sells fruit to consumers, have also plunged to record lows.

Karp said that farmers were now looking to their insurance policies to cover the costs of fruit losses.

On Monday, the government released a list of companies that have been approved to sell apples and kiwi, while fruit companies are trying to find ways to keep their products fresh and in season.

But fruit prices are still going down, and even as the season approaches, the fruit supply is likely to be hit, said Karp.

ABC News’ Michael D’Antonio contributed to this report.