Non-alcoholic Beverages Increase Food Prices

Embargoed until 10:45am – 9 May 2007

Non-alcoholic Beverages Increase Food Prices

Food prices increased 0.2 percent in the April 2007 month, Statistics New Zealand said today. The increase was largely due to higher prices for the non-alcoholic beverages subgroup (up 1.2 percent), driven by higher prices for instant coffee (up 12.4 percent).

Other contributors to the increase were higher prices from the restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food (up 0.5 percent); meat, poultry and fish (up 0.6 percent); and fresh fruit and vegetables (up 0.4 percent) subgroups.

Major individual contributors to the rise were tomatoes (up 15.1 percent), lettuce (up 36.1 percent) and mandarins (up 39.3 percent). This was partly offset by lower prices for kiwifruit (down 27.4 percent) and apples (down 8.8 percent).

Prices for the grocery food subgroup fell 0.4 percent. The major driver in this subgroup was cheese (down 2.1 percent).

For the year to April 2007, food prices rose 4.3 percent. Prices were up for all subgroups: meat, poultry and fish (up 9.5 percent); fruit and vegetables (up 9.6 percent); restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food (up 3.7 percent); grocery food (up 1.6 percent) and non-alcoholic beverages (up 2.1 percent).

Dallas Welch (Mrs)
Acting Government Statistician

ENDS

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