WELLINGTON, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Fruit and vegetable prices fell 5.6 percent in October as the local growing season picked up, New Zealand's statistics department Stats NZ said on Friday.
Fruit and vegetable prices follow a very seasonal trend and typically fall in October, with the lowest prices for the year in summer.
"Warmer weather makes it easier to grow many crops, with higher supply making these products cheaper," consumer prices manager Nicola Growden said in a statement.
Impacting this movement in order of contribution were tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, capsicum and courgettes.
Overall food prices were down 0.7 percent in the month. Excluding the effects of fruit and vegetables, food prices were up about 0.1 percent, according to Stats NZ.
Food prices increased 2.7 percent in the year ended October 2020, the lowest annual increase since December 2019, Growden said.
The annual food price movement has been increasing at a faster rate than the consumer price index (CPI) inflation over the past year, with the most recent CPI increasing 1.4 percent in the year ended September 2020, she said.
"Factors such as an increase in minimum wage can have more of an effect on food prices than on general inflation," Growden said.
"This is due to many staff working in food service or fruit picking industries being on or near minimum wage," she said. Enditem
