Business

Food prices fall overall but fruit and vegetable prices spike

15:50 pm on 15 January 2020

Food prices fell for the third consecutive month in December as cheaper groceries and drinks offset a sharp rise in fresh fruit and vegetables.

Grocery prices fell one percent as a group, driven by such items as chips, biscuits, some dairy and meat products, and soft drinks. Photo: 123RF/Rafael Ben-Ari

Official numbers show prices fell 0.2 percent on the previous month.

Grocery prices fell one percent as a group, driven by such items as chips, biscuits, some dairy and meat products, and soft drinks.

The biggest price rises were fruit and vegetables, especially kiwifruit, which hit a record high average price of more than $8.20 a kilogram, nearly double the price the year before .

Annual food inflation remained at 2.4 percent.

Food prices make up about a fifth of the overall inflation rate.