Essential needs for living cost more and seem unstoppable like fresh produce. The unstoppable rising of food price will leave no choice for low minimum wages labourers in term of health wise choices. Buying food is not at the top of families’ expenses list.
The banks, finance companies and also other debt Collectors take the first bite from the families’ weekly or fortnightly income, for renting and hire purchases, and then the rest of the income to divide among food, education, clothes, health and other essential needs of living.
New Zealand food prices rose for the first time in five months in January, led by fruit, vegetables and grocery items such as biscuits, yoghurt and bread.
Price Fluctuation
The food price index climbed 1.9% in January, following a 0.2% decline in December, according to Statistics New Zealand. All five categories of food measured rose in the latest month.
Fruit and vegetable prices rose 3.5%, led by seasonally higher prices for mandarins, apples, lettuce, broccoli, strawberries and kiwifruit. Grocery prices rose 1.9% and made the biggest contribution to the food price index’s monthly gain.
Prices for meat, poultry and fish rose 2.2% and non-alcoholic beverages gained 2.2%. Restaurant and fast-food meal prices rose 0.2%.
Food prices rose 0.8% from January 2012, with fruit and vegetables rising 5.9%, leading in both percentage terms and index contribution. Kumara, apples and avocados rose.
Grocery food prices fell 1.5% in the year, led by a 9.4% drop for fresh milk, a 6% decline in cheese, an 18% fall in butter and a 2.4% decline for bread.
Food prices account for almost 19% of the consumer price index and the New Zealand dollar climbed after the figures were released. The food prices report followed the release of the BNZ-Business New Zealand Performance of Manufacturing Index, which climbed 4.8 points to 55.2 last month, the highest since May last year and the highest for the month of January since 2007.
The kiwi dollar recently traded at 84.58 US cents from 89.11 cents before the reports were made public.
