The national statistics agency said on Monday that food costs in New Zealand were 12.1% higher in March 2023 than they were in March 2022, with fruit and vegetable costs rising by 22%.
According to Stats NZ, the primary driver of this change was supermarket food, according to the Xinhua news agency.
According to Stats NZ’s James Mitchell, manager of consumer pricing, “increasing costs for barn or cage-raised eggs, potato crisps, and 6-pack yoghurt were the major contributors within supermarket food.”
The yearly increase in March 2023 was brought on by increases in all of the major food categories that Stats NZ tracks.
Prices for grocery items rose by 14%, those for fruits and vegetables by 22%, and those for meat, poultry, and fish by 7.8% when compared to March 2022.
Fruits and vegetables were the second-largest contribution to the yearly migration. Avocados, potatoes, and tomatoes were the main factors in the rise.
According to Stats NZ, monthly food costs increased 0.8% in March 2023 compared to February 2023.
The Green Party of New Zealand demanded that retail profits be promptly curbed since it is raising food costs.
Ricardo Menendez March, the spokesman for trade and consumer affairs for the Green Party, said that supermarket profiteering is “making it harder and harder for people to aff ord to eat.”
Lower-income households are particularly badly impacted since they spend the majority of their income on necessities like food. March urged the government to intervene immediately and impose a tax on surplus shop profits so that the money may be used to benefit the needy.
He advocated the passage of the Food Industry Competition Law, which would compel supermarkets to sell their affiliated businesses.