Food prices down 0.8% in December

Monday 17th January 2011

Food prices fell 0.8% in December, but were up 4.2% from a year earlier, Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) says.

The rise in food prices for the year to December included a 2.2% increase in October when the Government lifted GST, while among significant price changes for the December year were a 14.2% lift in fresh milk, and a 62.8% rise in butter. Tomatoes fell 11.7%.

Prices for the grocery food sector rose 4.9% over the year, restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food added 4%, fruit and vegetables were up 5.5%, the meat, poultry and fish category gained 3.2% and non-alcoholic beverages gained 1.8%.

Significant factors in the fall in prices last month from November included a 37.1% fall in tomatoes, soft drinks down 5.8%, and lettuce down 19.6%. Chocolate novelty bars were up 10.5% in the month, apples up 14.2% and sausages up 8.7%, SNZ said.

Fruit and vegetable prices overall fell 4% in the month, non-alcoholic beverage prices fell 2.7%, grocery food fell 0.4%, the meat, poultry and fish category was up 0.8%, and restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food were up 0.2%.

The 0.8% fall in December followed a decline of 0.6% in November.

NZPA

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