No Change in Food Prices

18 April 2007

No Change in Food Prices

No overall change in food prices was recorded for March 2007, Statistics New Zealand said today. The 2.3 percent fall in fruit and vegetable prices was offset by rises of 1.1 percent in meat, poultry and fish prices, and 0.4 percent in grocery food prices.

Within the fruit and vegetables subgroup, a large 42.1 percent rise in tomato prices was offset by lower prices for apples (down 22.1 percent) and kumara (down 25.8 percent) .

The rise in meat, poultry and fish prices came mainly from a 6.6 percent increase in poultry prices.

The increase in grocery food prices was largely due to increases of 1.8 percent in bread prices and 5.5 percent in prices for chocolate biscuits. These rises more than offset a 7.0 percent fall in the price of potato crisps.

For the year to March 2007, food prices increased 3.3 percent. Specifically, meat, poultry and fish prices rose 7.1 percent, fruit and vegetable prices increased 7.8 percent, prices for restaurant meals and ready to eat food were up 3.3 percent, grocery food prices rose 0.9 percent and non-alcoholic beverage prices increased 1.3 percent.

Dallas Welch
Acting Government Statistician

ENDS

More data... Hot Off The Press: Food Price Index (PDF)

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