A doctor battling the country's obesity epidemic says the "tragically" high fruit and vegetable prices need to be forced down, and junk food prices need to hit consumers in the pocket.

An attempt by an airline passenger to bring two crates of fresh mangoes into NZ could have had dire consequences if the fruit reached our orchards, says border security.

New Zealand's property market finished the year on a high note with both farm sales and prices increasing last month, according to latest figures.

Food prices fell 0.8 per cent last month, with vegetables leading the charge. Food prices have now fallen 0.6 per cent over the past year.

Seasonal falls in vegetable prices took the food price index down 0.6pc last month.