Vegetable Prices Turn Food Prices Around

Embargoed until 10:45am – 14 September 2006

Vegetable Prices Turn Food Prices Around

Food prices fell 0.1 percent during August 2006, Statistics New Zealand said today, following a rise of 0.8 percent in July. The 1.4 percent drop in fruit and vegetable prices was the main contributor to the fall in food prices.

Within the fruit and vegetable subgroup, vegetable prices fell 7.3 percent, while fruit prices rose 9.6 percent.

Prices were down for lettuce (down 44.6 percent), broccoli (down 25.7 percent) and cauliflower (down 33.1 percent). These decreases were partly offset by increases in prices for tomatoes (up 12.5 percent), bananas (up 15.5 percent) and grapes (up 28.1 percent).

No overall change in prices was recorded for the grocery food, and meat, poultry and fish subgroups. Prices for the restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food and non-alcoholic beverages subgroups increased 0.4 and 0.2 percent, respectively.

For the year to August 2006, food prices increased 3.4 percent. The most significant upward contribution came from higher prices for the fruit and vegetables subgroup (up 18.1 percent).

Brian Pink
Government Statistician

ENDS

© Scoop Media