STORY: New Zealand's food prices up 8 pct annually
DATELINE: Oct. 14, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:26
LOCATION: Wellington
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of street views of Wellington
2. various of supermarkets

STORYLINE:

Food prices in New Zealand were 8 percent higher in September than in the same period last year, according to the statistics department Stats NZ on Thursday.
   
The largest contributing food group was grocery food, which includes non-perishables and dairy products, said Stats NZ's consumer prices manager James Mitchell.

"Fresh eggs, potato crisps, and lollies were the largest drivers within grocery food," Mitchell said.
   
In September 2023, the annual increase was due to rises across all the broad food categories measured by Stats NZ.
   
Monthly food prices fell 0.4 percent in September compared with the previous month, Mitchell said.
   
"Decreasing prices for fruit and vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce contributed the most to the overall monthly fall," he said. 

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Wellington.
(XHTV)