Avocados at lowest price in almost three years

Avocados are at their cheapest average price since February 2017, with tomato, lettuce, and cucumber prices also falling, Stats NZ said today.

These falls contributed to a 4.7 percent drop in fruit and vegetable prices in October.

“Avocado prices dropped to a weighted average price of just $7.54 per kilogram in October. This is down from $8.95 in September and the record high of $28.67 in May this year,” acting consumer prices manager Fiona Smillie said.

Salad ingredients were the main contributors to the fall in fruit and vegetable prices between September and October.

• Tomato prices fell 25 percent to a weighted average price of $6.96 per kilogram.
• Lettuce prices fell 27 percent to a weighted average price of $3.93 per kilogram.
• Cucumber prices fell 31 percent to a weighted average price of $6.51 per kilogram.

Price falls for tomatoes, lettuces, and cucumbers are typical in October.

These falls were partly offset by strawberries (up 14 percent) and potatoes (up 8.0 percent).

“We generally see prices for strawberries and potatoes increase towards the end of the year as new season produce hits the shelves,” Ms. Smillie said.

Lower fruit and vegetable prices contributed to a 0.3 percent drop in overall food prices in October.

Annual food prices up in year to October

Food prices increased 2.5 percent in the year ended October, influenced mainly by restaurant meals and ready-to-eat foods (up 3.4 percent) and grocery food (up 2.1 percent).

Meat, poultry, and fish prices also increased annually, up 4.2 percent.

“Bacon prices continued to increase following the outbreak of African swine fever in China, up 24 percent in the year ending October, to a weighted average price of $13.37 per 700 grams,” Ms. Smillie said.

80-90 percent of the bacon consumed in New Zealand is imported from overseas.

Ham prices also increased, up 22 percent for the year ended October, to a weighted average price of $14.28 per kilogram.

“Not all meat, poultry, and fish prices have seen substantial increases this year. Chicken breast decreased 2.2 percent, to a weighted average price of $12.51 per kilogram,” Ms. Smillie said.

Fruit and vegetables were the only group to decrease over the year, down 0.2 percent.

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Tom Kenny