14.04.202023:45:00UTC+00New Zealand Food Prices Climb Unadjusted 0.7 In March

Food prices rose an unadjusted 0.7 percent on month in March, Statistics New Zealand said on Wednesday following the flat reading in February.

After seasonal adjustment, food prices rose 0.2 percent on month.

Individually, fruit and vegetable prices rose 3.0 percent (up 1.8 percent after seasonal adjustment), while meat, poultry, and fish prices were flat. Grocery food prices rose 0.2 percent (up 0.2 percent after seasonal adjustment), non-alcoholic beverage prices rose 1.5 percent and restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food prices rose 0.4 percent.

Prices for vegetables rose in March 2020 (up 7.4 percent), mainly influenced by rises for broccoli, cucumber, cauliflower, capsicums, and carrots.

Cauliflower prices rose 64 percent to a weighted average price of NZ$5.75 per kilo.

"This reflects the average prices over the whole month. Some shoppers may have seen higher prices towards the end of the month, with media reports of NZ$10 or more for a single cauliflower," consumer prices manager Sarah Johnson said.

Cauliflower prices reached an all-time peak of NZ$8.35 a kilo in March 2018.

Fruit prices fell 2.2 percent in March 2020. Prices for apples (down 26 percent) and pears (down 15 percent) both fell in typical seasonal patterns.

On a yearly basis, food prices climbed 3.3 percent.

Individually, fruit and vegetable prices decreased 1.0 percent, while meat, poultry, and fish prices increased 7.5 percent, grocery food prices increased 3.2 percent, non-alcoholic beverage prices increased 1.6 percent and restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food prices increased 3.9 percent.