Food prices fall in February, led by cheap summer fruit and veges
The food price index fell 0.6% in February.
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New Zealand food prices fell for the sixth time in seven months, led by cheap summer fruit and vegetables.
The food price index fell 0.6% in February, turning around a 2% increase in January, Statistics New Zealand said. On an annual basis, prices were down 0.5%, its fifth month in a row where prices were lower than a year earlier.
Food prices account for about 17% of the consumers price index, which has tracked below the Reserve Bank's target band of between 1-3% for more than a year. While cheap international oil has been depressing prices more generally, that's started feeding into firms' expectations which the central bank fears will limit broader wage and price setting and prompted an interest rate cut by governor Graeme Wheeler this week.
Today's data show fruit and vegetable prices were down 2.6% in February from a month earlier, and 1.4% lower on an annual basis. Produce is typically cheaper through the summer months, and on a seasonally adjusted basis, Statistics NZ said food prices were up 0.2%.
Grocery food prices, which account for about 37% of the index, fell 0.3% in February due to cheaper snack foods and cheese. On an annual basis, grocery food prices fell 1.9%, led by cheaper fresh milk.
Meat, poultry and fish prices fell 0.5% in the month and were unchanged on the year while non-alcoholic beverage prices slipped a monthly 0.7% for a 1.5% annual decline.
Restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food prices were the only sub-group to rise in February, up 0.1% for an annual increase of 2%.
(BusinessDesk
Paul McBeth
Fri, 11 Mar 2016
Fri, 11 Mar 2016
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Food prices fall in February, led by cheap summer fruit and veges
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