Food prices rose 1.6 percent in July, reflecting higher dairy prices and a winter increase in vegetable prices.The fruit and vegetables subgroup rose 8.7 percent in July from June, due to a seasonal rise in vegetable prices, Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) s
Food prices rose 1.6 percent in July, reflecting higher dairy prices and a winter increase in vegetable prices.
The fruit and vegetables subgroup rose 8.7 percent in July from June, due to a seasonal rise in vegetable prices, Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) said today.
A 44.9 percent rise in lettuce prices and 13.9 percent lift in tomato prices were the main contributors.
Vegetable prices normally increased in winter months, with lettuce prices typically peaking in July, SNZ said .
Grocery food prices rose 1.2 percent in July, with the major contributors being fresh milk, up 5.9 percent, and yoghurt up 7 percent, influenced by reductions in some package sizes.
The meat, poultry, and fish subgroup increased 0.5 percent and the restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food subgroup rose 0.3 percent in July.
Non-alcoholic beverage prices fell 1.1 percent.
The 1.6 percent overall rise in July followed an increase of 1.3 percent in June and a fall of 0.7 percent in May.
For the year to July, food prices fell 1 percent, following falls of 2 percent in the year to June and 0.5 percent in the year to May.
Three consecutive falls in annual food prices had not been recorded since the year 2000, SNZ said.
Food prices rose 16.6 percent from July 2007 to their peak in July 2009, and had fallen 1 percent since.
In the year to July 2010, fruit and vegetable prices fell 4.3 percent, while meat, poultry, and fish prices fell 2.8 percent. Restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food prices rose 2.1 percent during the same period.
