Food Prices Rise in November

Food Prices Rise in November

Food prices rose 0.2 percent in November 2003, according to latest figures released by Statistics New Zealand. Price increases were recorded for grocery food, soft drinks and confectionery; fruit and vegetables; and restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food. Partly offsetting these increases were lower prices for meat, fish and poultry.

Grocery food, soft drinks and confectionery prices increased by 0.3 percent in November 2003. Significant upward contributions came from higher prices for bread and bread rolls (up 2.4 percent), and frozen and chilled meat pies (up 9.3 percent). These were partly offset by price decreases for potato crisps (down 6.4 percent) and energy drinks (down 6.4 percent).

Prices for fruit and vegetables increased by 0.6 percent in November 2003. The most significant upward contribution came from processed fruit prices (up 4.4 percent). A less significant upward contribution came from fresh vegetables (up 0.7 percent). A rise in tomato prices (up 42.0 percent) was partly offset by a fall in potato prices (down 21.3 percent).

Restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food prices increased by 0.3 percent in November 2003. Ready-to-eat food prices rose 0.3 percent and restaurant meal prices rose 0.2 percent. Meat, fish and poultry prices fell 0.4 percent in November 2003. Lower prices were recorded for poultry (down 5.7 percent), pork (down 3.8 percent) and smallgoods and prepared meats (down 0.7 percent).

Food prices increased by 0.4 percent from November 2002 to November 2003. Upward contributions came from grocery food, soft drinks and confectionery (up 1.0 percent), restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food (up 1.6 percent) and fruit and vegetables (up 1.8 percent). These increases were partly offset by decreases in meat, fish and poultry prices (down 3.4 percent).

Brian Pink

Government Statistician

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