Avocado lovers who have been doing it tough coping with skyrocketing prices can breathe a sigh of relief, with prices returning to normal levels.
The price of the fruit leapt in May, due to lack of supply, with some retailers charging as much as $12.50 per avocado.
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However, new food price statistics show the price of a 200 gram avocado fell to $2.99 in June.
Not only was it down from the record average high in May of $5.73, but also 31 percent cheaper than in June 2018.
Food prices fell 0.7 percent overall in June, partly driven by lower prices for cakes and biscuits, Stats NZ said.
Honey prices also decreased, down 15 percent in the year to June 2019.
Clover honey prices hit a record-high average of $11.64 per 500g in August 2017, but have been steadily falling since then.
Consumer prices manager Gael Price said industry reports showed honey volumes were up 35 percent in the 2017/18 season.
"That increase in supply drove prices down, a trend we see continuing in 2019," she said.
Also contributing to lower food prices in June 2019 were prices for yoghurt (down 9.1 percent), cheese (down 4.3 percent), and butter (down 1.9 percent). These drops were partly offset by higher prices for chocolate and eggs.
Fruit and vegetable prices fell 2.1 percent in June 2019, 8.8 percent lower than they were in June 2018.
Tomato prices decreased 17 percent in the year to June 2019.
"The average price for tomatoes was $5.28 per kilo in June. This is the lowest price they have been in a June month since our series began," said Price.
The price falls for tomatoes and avocados were offset by a price rise for cucumber.
A 300g cucumber cost $3.96 in June 2019, 62 percent higher than in May, when it cost $2.44.
Newshub.
