New Zealand: Tomatoes and cucumbers drive up April food prices

Published 2021년 5월 14일

Tridge summary

In April 2021, New Zealand saw a 1.1% increase in food prices, largely due to significant hikes in the prices of tomatoes and cucumbers. Tomato prices more than doubled from March to April, reaching $6.34 per kilo, marking the biggest monthly price increase in over a decade. Cucumber prices also rose by 50% during the same period. These increases were partially balanced by a 28% decrease in kiwifruit prices. The minimum wage rise to $20.00 per hour from April 1 influenced restaurant meal and ready-to-eat food prices, leading to a 1.2% increase. Despite the higher prices for tomatoes and cucumbers, annual food prices only increased by 0.7%, with lower prices for coffee and potatoes helping to mitigate the impact.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Rising prices for tomatoes and cucumbers were the main contributors to a 1.1 percent rise in food prices in April 2021, Stats NZ said. Fruit and vegetable prices rose 4.8 percent in April 2021. Tomato prices rose to a weighted average price of $6.34 per kilo, more than double the March month when they were $2.98 per kilo. This was the biggest monthly price rise in over 10 years. “Tomato prices have been particularly low over the last three months. Tomatoes NZ confirmed there was an oversupply in the domestic market as growers struggled to get their tomatoes exported due to a shortage of freight and a rising cost of shipping resulting from COVID-19,” consumer prices manager Katrina Dewbery said. “Tomato growers are facing a lot of uncertainty regarding exports, influencing their plan for replanting tomato crops,” Mrs. Dewbery said. Tomato prices in April increased 67 percent from a weighted average price of $3.80 per kilo a year ago. In August 2020, tomatoes reached a high-weighted ...

Source: Hortidaily