Rising food prices hit families

A Rotorua dietitian says families need to get back to basics as locals start feeling the pinch of rising food prices.

The cost of filling the average supermarket trolley has risen by 25 per cent in the past year. In the 12 months to February, fresh milk prices went up 20.9 per cent, cheddar cheese went up 59.9 per cent and butter 91.2 per cent, according to Statistics New Zealand data.

The increase has led to a petition, by the Residents Action Movement, to abolish GST on food. However, the idea has gained little support in parliament.

Margaret Robertson, a community dietitian with Health Rotorua PHO, says removing GST on healthy food would encourage people to make healthier choices. Families could also help themselves by learning to do more with less.

"It's about getting back to basics," she said.

"Consider what people used to do during the Depression when there wasn't a lot of food around and they had to make it go further."

People needed to stick to a grocery budget and buy essential items such as fruit and vegetables, bread, rice and quality meat first. Treats should only be bought if money was left over in the budget, Mrs Robertson said.

She suggested families pad out their meat dishes with tinned beans or lentils. Expensive fresh fruit and vegetables which were not in season could be substituted with cheaper frozen or tinned products.

"We have clients who are worried that if they buy a whole cauliflower, half of it will go to waste and that's when you'd consider buying frozen."

Yesterday shoppers in Rotorua agreed removing GST on basic foods would help.

Mother-of-two Cecile Suchet said "doing the right thing" and buying healthier food was expensive. Her average grocery bill had gone up about $50 a week since groceries began to rise.

"I'm buying less cheese now and I've noticed I'm doing more with eggs at home because they're a bit cheaper." She saved money where she could, such as buying Budget brand cat food.

Joanna Stokes said she only bought products when they were on sale, even if that meant visiting two or three different supermarkets to get everything she needed.

"I can do that because I'm retired so I really feel for people who don't have the time to do that. But we never go out for dinner because it's too expensive."

This week Prime Minister Helen Clark said tax cuts to be announced in this month's budget would deliver timely relief for families but she didn't think GST would be removed on food.

She said GST had been in place since the mid-1980s when schemes like family support, which had now become "the much bigger and more significant" Working for Families, began.

"Obviously there will be some tax relief announced in the budget and I think it's going to be very, very timely for families."

Miss Clark said price increases for items such as butter, cheese and milk, were driven by the export prices farmers were getting for their products.

A Labour finance spokesman said a one-off change to GST would not stop international forces pushing up food prices.

HOT TIPS FOR SAVING MONEY

*Shop around and buy cheaper brands

*Make meat dishes go further by adding beans or lentils

*Only buy seasonal fresh fruit and veges

*Buy tinned versions when they aren't in season

*Fresh veges past their best can be made into soups or casseroles

*Save money on milk by using milk powder instead

*Use less cheese by grating it and buying stronger-flavoured varieties