Fruit and Vegetables Push FPI Up

Fruit and Vegetables Push FPI Up

Food prices increased 0.4 percent in March 2005, according to the latest figures released by Statistics New Zealand. The most significant price increase was for fruit and vegetables, with smaller increases being recorded for grocery food, soft drinks and confectionery; and restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food. Prices for meat, fish and poultry decreased in March 2005.

Fruit and vegetable prices rose 3.5 percent in March 2005. The most significant price increase was for tomatoes, up 85.3 percent. Higher prices were also recorded for mandarins (up 27.9 percent) and apples (up 6.8 percent), while lettuce (down 23.8 percent) and pumpkin (down 13.9 percent) prices decreased.

There were small increases in the grocery food, soft drinks and confectionery subgroup, and the restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food subgroup (both up 0.1 percent) in March 2005. Prices for meat, fish and poultry were down 0.7 percent.

From March 2004 to March 2005, food prices increased 1.1 percent. Price increases were recorded for meat, fish and poultry (up 3.8 percent), restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food (up 2.6 percent) and grocery food, soft drinks and confectionery (up 1.0 percent). Lower prices were recorded for fruit and vegetables (down 4.6 percent).

Brian Pink

Government Statistician

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