Food price rise at 5-year high

Food prices rose 2.2% in the year to February, the biggest annual increase in 5 years.

Fruit and vegetable prices jumped 7.7%. The cost of household staples such as milk, cheese and eggs also increased. Milk prices rose 6% while eggs cost 2.7% more.

The only food aisle to record a drop was meat and fish: prices for this group were down 2% for the year.

GUIDE TO THE TABLE DATA are from Statistics NZ Food Price Index and show weighted average retail prices for selected items.