NZ food prices rise 0.2 percent in April as tomato prices soar 67 percent

NZ food prices rise 0.2 percent  in April as tomato prices soar 67 percent
May 13 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand food prices rose for the first time in three months, led by fruit and vegetables as tomato prices soared 67 percent. Prices rose 0.2 percent in April from March, to be 0.1 percent lower than in the same month of 2012, according to Statistics New Zealand Food prices make up about 19 percent of the consumer price index, which rose 0.4 percent in the first quarter, for a relatively tame annual gain of 0.9 percent. That’s short of the Reserve Bank’s target of 1 percent to 3 percent on average, over time. The...