Food Prices Rise in November
Food prices rose 0.2 percent in November 2003, according to latest figures released by Statistics New Zealand. Price
increases were recorded for grocery food, soft drinks and confectionery; fruit and vegetables; and restaurant meals and
ready-to-eat food. Partly offsetting these increases were lower prices for meat, fish and poultry.
Grocery food, soft drinks and confectionery prices increased by 0.3 percent in November 2003. Significant upward
contributions came from higher prices for bread and bread rolls (up 2.4 percent), and frozen and chilled meat pies (up
9.3 percent). These were partly offset by price decreases for potato crisps (down 6.4 percent) and energy drinks (down
6.4 percent).
Prices for fruit and vegetables increased by 0.6 percent in November 2003. The most significant upward contribution came
from processed fruit prices (up 4.4 percent). A less significant upward contribution came from fresh vegetables (up 0.7
percent). A rise in tomato prices (up 42.0 percent) was partly offset by a fall in potato prices (down 21.3 percent).
Restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food prices increased by 0.3 percent in November 2003. Ready-to-eat food prices rose
0.3 percent and restaurant meal prices rose 0.2 percent. Meat, fish and poultry prices fell 0.4 percent in November
2003. Lower prices were recorded for poultry (down 5.7 percent), pork (down 3.8 percent) and smallgoods and prepared
meats (down 0.7 percent).
Food prices increased by 0.4 percent from November 2002 to November 2003. Upward contributions came from grocery food,
soft drinks and confectionery (up 1.0 percent), restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food (up 1.6 percent) and fruit and
vegetables (up 1.8 percent). These increases were partly offset by decreases in meat, fish and poultry prices (down 3.4
percent).
Brian Pink
Government Statistician
END