In January, NZ food prices increased 0.9 percent month-on-month, and 1.4 percent year-on-year, with fruit and vegetables leading gains in both the month and the year.
Due to short supply, apples were an average $5.04 a kilogramme compared to $3.60 in December 2016. In general, fruit prices rose 12 percent or 2.9 percent seasonally adjusted, while vegetables increased 5.9 percent or 1.4 percent seasonally adjusted.
Prices of meat, poultry and fish also increased by 2.4 percent, with the highest increase in lamb (+11 percent) and chicken (+4 percent). To top it all, chocolate prices gained 14 percent, and fresh milk rose 4.4 percent.
