Food prices down 0.6 percent

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Embargoed until 10:45am – 12 May 2009

Food prices down 0.6 percent

Food prices decreased 0.6 percent in the April 2009 month, Statistics New Zealand said today. The fruit and vegetable (down 2.0 percent), grocery food (down 0.4 percent), meat, poultry and fish (down 0.8 percent), and non-alcoholic beverage (down 0.9 percent) subgroups all fell. Restaurant meals and ready-toeat food (up 0.4 percent) was the only subgroup to rise.

The most significant decrease came from the fruit and vegetables subgroup (down 2.0 percent), which was driven by lower prices for kiwifruit (down 54.8 percent). Kiwifruit is coming into season and large price falls usually occur in April and May. The most significant individual upward contribution came from tomatoes (up 26.2 percent).

Within the other subgroups, the most significant downward contributions came from lower prices for fresh chicken (down 3.4 percent), margarine (down 9.4 percent), and fresh milk (down 1.5 percent).

For the year to April 2009, food prices rose 7.6 percent with all five subgroups recording increases: grocery food (up 6.7 percent), meat, poultry and fish (up 11.5 percent), fruit and vegetables (up 9.9 percent), restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food (up 5.2 percent), and non-alcoholic beverages (up 7.5 percent).

Within these subgroups, the most significant upward contributions came from higher prices for ready-to-eat food (up 5.3 percent), bread (up 12.8 percent), beef (up 12.5 percent), and soft drinks (up 7.2 percent). The most significant downwards contributions came from lower prices for cheddar cheese (down 15.7 percent), and tomatoes (down 15.8 percent).

Geoff Bascand Government Statistician 12 May 2009

Food Price Index: April 2009 (pdf)

Food Price Index: April 2009 Tables (xls)

ENDS

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