Tomato and lettuce prices down almost 30 percent

Tomato and lettuce prices down almost 30 percent
11 November 2016

Salads are cheaper as warmer weather arrives, with tomato and lettuce prices both down 29 percent in October, Statistics NZ said today. Seasonally lower fruit and vegetable prices saw overall food prices fall 0.8 percent in the month. Adjusting for the typical seasonal patterns, prices were flat.

Vegetable prices showed the biggest movement in October, down 8 percent in total. Fruit prices were down 1.8 percent. As well as lower prices for lettuce and tomatoes, courgettes were down 43 percent. This was partly offset by higher carrot prices, up 19 percent.

"Tomatoes continued their price decline for the second consecutive month, to $6.83 per kilo this month. While this is a large fall, tomatoes are still more expensive than they were in October 2015," consumer prices manager Matt Haigh said.

Meat, poultry, and fish prices rose 0.8 percent in October 2016. This was influenced by higher prices for poultry (up 4.4 percent). Pork prices have fallen 5.3 percent in the month to their lowest level since August 2014.

"Lower pork prices reflect cheaper prices for roasting pork, and brought prices in line with those seen six years ago," Mr Haigh said.

Prices for grocery foods were flat in October 2016, with lower prices for cheese (down 3.6 percent) and yoghurt (down 4.6 percent) partly offset by higher prices for fresh milk (up 1.4 percent). Non-alcoholic beverages prices fell by 1.2 percent in October, influenced by lower prices for coffee, soft drinks, waters, and juices.

Overall, food prices increased 0.6 percent in the year to October 2016, influenced by higher prices for restaurant meals and ready-to-eat meals (up 2.0 percent) and fruit and vegetables (up 1.2 percent).

For more information about these statistics:
• Visit Food Price Index: October 2016

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