Food Price Index: January 2005 — 10 February 2005 Food Prices Increase
Food prices rose 0.6 percent in January 2005, according to the latest figures from Statistics New Zealand, following
decreases of 0.1 percent in both December and November 2004. Higher prices for grocery food, soft drinks and
confectionery; meat, fish and poultry; and restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food were partly offset by lower prices for
fruit and vegetables.
Prices for grocery food, soft drinks and confectionery rose 1.1 percent in January, driven by higher prices for bread
and bread rolls (up 3.6 percent), boxed assorted chocolates (up 10.4 percent) and soft drinks (up 1.6 percent). Lower
prices came from potato crisps (down 2.9 percent). Meat, fish and poultry prices rose 0.8 percent in January, mainly due
to higher prices for steak (up 4.2 percent) and poultry (up 2.8 percent). Lower prices came from lamb (down 8.3
percent).
Restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food prices rose 0.2 percent in January. Within this subgroup, ready-to-eat food
prices increased 0.2 percent, while prices for restaurant meals increased 0.1 percent.
Fruit and vegetables prices fell 1.1 percent in January, with a 4.5 percent decrease in prices for fresh vegetables.
Downward contributions came from tomatoes (down 38.2 percent) and potatoes (down 6.1 percent), while upward
contributions came from apples (up 20.0 percent), pumpkin (up 38.0 percent) and bananas (up 9.1 percent).
From January 2004 to January 2005, the Food Price Index increased 1.8 percent. Higher prices for grocery food, soft
drinks and confectionery (up 1.6 percent); restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food (up 2.8 percent); and meat, fish and
poultry (up 2.5 percent) were partly offset by lower prices for fruit and vegetables (down 0.8 percent).
Brian Pink
Government Statistician
ENDS