Embargoed until 10:45am – 17 January 2008
Food prices pushed up by grocery food
Food prices increased 0.9 percent in the December 2007 month, Statistics New Zealand said today. The increase was mainly
due to higher prices for the grocery food subgroup (up 1.4 percent) and the fruit and vegetables subgroup (up 2.6
percent).
Within the grocery food subgroup, the main contributors to the 1.4 percent increase were higher prices for cheddar
cheese (up 13.9 percent), butter (up 22.1 percent) and chocolate biscuits (up 11.4 percent).
The most significant downward contributions came from lower prices for potato crisps (down 4.8 percent), boxed
chocolates (down 9.9 percent) and yoghurt (down 4.6 percent).
The fruit and vegetables subgroup, which rose 2.6 percent, was mainly driven by higher prices for apples (up 27.0
percent), potatoes (up 7.6 percent) and kumara (up 17.5 percent). The most significant downward contributions came from
lower prices for tomatoes (down 14.1 percent) and broccoli (down 25.3 percent).
For the year to December 2007, food prices rose 5.4 percent. All subgroups recorded upward contributions, with the most
significant upward contribution coming from higher prices for the grocery food subgroup (up 7.8 percent). This was
followed by, in order of significance, meat, poultry and fish (up 6.0 percent), restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food
(up 4.0 percent), non-alcoholic beverages (up 5.6 percent) and fruit and vegetables (up 0.6 percent).
Geoff Bascand
Government Statistician
17 January 2008
ENDS