Food prices rise 1.4 pct in June

NZPA

Wednesday 13th July 2011 1 Comment

Food prices rose 1.4 percent in June, as vegetable prices recorded their traditional winter jump.

Figures from Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) today show vegetable prices rose 17.9 percent last month, with tomatoes up 56.9 percent to a record high, lettuce up 42.7 percent, capsicums up 43.7 percent, cucumber up 35.6 percent and zucchini up 60.1 percent.

Prices for tomatoes and capsicum were influenced by a fall in imports from Australia following the Queensland floods, SNZ said.

The vegetable group had recorded double-digit percentage price rises in four out of the five latest June months.

The fruit and vegetable category was up 12.2 percent in June, with fruit prices up 2.8 percent.

Grocery food prices rose 0.7 percent for the month, and restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food gained 0.5 percent, while the meat, poultry and fish subgroup fell 3.2 percent.

Chicken prices fell 10.4 percent, porterhouse sirloin steak fell 7.1 percent, and bacon dropped 6.9 percent. Those decreases were influenced by higher levels of discounting in June, with bacon at its lowest price since September 2008.

In the year to June food prices rose 7.5 percent, including a 2.2 percent gain due to the increase last October in GST.

Grocery food rose 8 percent over the year, fruit and vegetables lifted 15.7 percent, restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food lifted 4.5 percent, non-alcoholic beverages gained 8.1 percent, and the meat, poultry and fish category rose 3.5 percent.

Lettuce prices were up 85.3 percent over the year, fresh milk lifted 9.4 percent, soft drinks lifted 7.4 percent, and tomatoes rose 29.3 percent.

Comments from our readers

On 17 July 2011 at 7:54 am Jennifer said:

The price rises have been noticed. Those on average salaries are suffering. It's harder to fill the car up AND buy necessities. Unless it's different now, Oz didn't apply GST to non-luxury food like fruit and vegies. Rubbish food is looking cheaper than healthy food.