New Zealand food prices rose in June as the onset of winter brought on higher prices for out-of-season vegetables.
The food price index rose 1.4 per cent in June, the fastest monthly pace since the same month a year earlier, and up from 0.6 per cent in May, according to Statistics New Zealand. On an annual basis, food prices rose 1.2 per cent, lower than the 1.8 per cent annual increase in May, and are at their highest level since peaking in July 2011.
The monthly increase was underpinned by an 8.9 per cent rise in the price of vegetables, driven by seasonally higher prices of tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers, and a 9.9 per cent rise in poultry prices, on reduced discounting, Statistics NZ said.
Source: www.nzherald.co.nz