Food prices have fallen for the second month in a row with prices falling 1.3 per cent in March.

This decrease follows a small drop in February.

Fruits and vegetables influenced the decrease in food prices in March.

The falls come off the back of a rise of 1.9 per cent in January, according to figures from Statistics New Zealand.

'Lower food prices in March reflected cheaper fruit and vegetables,” says prices manager Chris Pike.

'Apple prices were down a third and tomatoes, at $2.76 a kilo, were the cheapest in more than four years.”
Prices for apples, tomatoes and kumara had the most influence over food prices, says Chris.

'Apple prices often fall in February and March from their early summer peak.

'These price falls were partly countered by higher banana prices, up 9.8 per cent.”

Chocolate bars and blocks of chocolate influenced grocery food prices, which fell by 0.8 per cent.

Boxed chocolates rose 19 per cent after a 21 per cent fall in February.

Chris says the price of boxed chocolates falls every February, when Valentine's Day occurs.
Increased discounting on ham, down 12 per cent, and a price fall for lamb, down 11 per cent, resulted in a 0.9 per cent price fall for the meat, poultry, and fish group.