Last month, Kiwi consumers faced the largest rise in vegetable prices in more than four years, according to Stats NZ.
Stats NZ said vegetable prices rose 15 per cent from May to June, mainly because of rising prices for tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, capsicum, and broccoli. When adjusted for seasonal effects, prices were up by 8.5 per cent.
May 2017 was the last time vegetable prices saw an increase in a similar range — at 16.2 per cent.
The increase in vegetable prices pushed overall food prices up by 1.4 per cent last month.
Stats NZ consumer prices manager Matthew Stansfield said while it was common to see prices for vegetables go up in winter, “we are seeing larger rises than usual for this time of the year and for a greater number of vegetables”.
In particular, capsicums reached an all-time high of $24.16 per kilogram. That’s an increase of 27 per cent from May to June.
“Capsicum prices follow a very seasonal trend, generally reaching their peak during July or August as more produce is imported during winter,” Stansfield said.
Kumara, pumpkin and mushrooms were the only fresh vegetable prices to fall last month.
Meanwhile, kiwifruit prices are down 24 per cent from May to June, instant coffee is down 4.9 per cent, while pork leg and kumara are both down 10 per cent.
Overall food prices in the 12 months leading to June increased by 2.8 per cent.
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