As food prices jump, discover which items had biggest increases in 2023

Food prices are up, according to new data from Stats NZ, as consumers battle the cost-of-living crisis. Photo / 123rf

Disease and extreme weather events significantly affected the supply and prices of some of the country’s most loved vegetables – but a produce association president says better times are on the way for growers and New Zealand consumers.

Food prices have climbed steadily since March 2021 as New Zealanders grappled with a cost-of-living crisis. The latest data from Stats NZ, released today, shows food prices are 6 per cent higher than they were a year ago.

The Herald has analysed the prices of the 155 food products tracked by Stats NZ to reveal the top 10 items that have increased the most this year, compared to monthly baseline prices recorded between 2015 and 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tomatoes jumped in price the most in 2023. The cost of 1kg of tomatoes was 216 per cent higher in February 2023 at $10.14, compared to the average February price of $3.21.

President of industry association United Fresh, Jerry Prendergast, said the weather events and the mosaic virus infecting tomatoes had caused challenges throughout the year.

“There were crop failures after crop failures in different glasshouses across New Zealand. That’s what shortened up the supply – combined with low light because of those constant weather challenges that we had. One of the biggest challenges for glasshouses is low light.

“That [issue] probably found its peak in February this year. In summer, tomatoes are so plentiful and January and February is usually when there’s plentiful supply. With hardly anything available in the glasshouses, the price went up.”

The price for 1kg of pumpkin ($5.94) was 161 per cent higher in August than the average pre-Covid August price of $2.28.

Destructive weather events had also been “catastrophic” for pumpkin growers, Prendergast said.

“Pumpkin got plagued with two things this year. [Cyclone] Gabrielle did not help with some major pumpkin growing operations in Hawke’s Bay, so that saw a lot of those [pumpkins] bobbing around in the ocean and being washed out to sea.

“On top of that, they had a very poor yield to start with. The plantings were poor due to wet ground and pumpkins like to have dry ground.”

Prendergast said these challenges had affected growers’ livelihoods. If no other major events happened between now and when crops next come on, consumers could expect good value and supply of tomatoes and pumpkins.

Eating out, takeaways ‘more expensive’

The biggest jump in the price of eggs was in July, just before the Herald reported bakeries and wholesalers nationwide were having to ration egg supplies and cut menu items.

Stats NZ measures food price increases across five subgroups. Consumers prices manager James Mitchell said the biggest contributors to the 6 per cent November increase were grocery food items (7 per cent), mainly driven by higher prices for fresh eggs, lollies and peanuts.

Restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food prices increased 7.5 per cent; fruit and vegetable prices increased 4.8 per cent; non-alcoholic beverage prices increased 5.8 per cent; and meat, poultry and fish prices increased 2 per cent.

“Getting a meal from a restaurant or cafe and grabbing a takeaway has continued to get more expensive,” Mitchell said.

Food prices in November were, however, cheaper than October 2023 driven by seasonal falls in some fresh produce items.

“We are seeing more food items fall in price than a year ago,” Mitchell said.

“In November 2023, 46 per cent of food items fell in price, while in November 2022, 27 per cent of items decreased.”

Julia Gabel is an Auckland-based reporter with a focus on data journalism. She joined the Herald in 2020.