New Zealand experienced a 56% increase in the cost of a food basket*, with the price in 2023 coming in at NZ$78.32 compared with NZ$50.16 in 2022. . .
World Vision’s Head of Advocacy and Justice, Rebekah Armstrong, says the report highlights the need for investment in strong and resilient food systems both here and overseas. . .
“We’ve all been feeling the financial pain of buying food, but this report shows clearly how markedly the cost of basic staples has increased. We know that some of this is due to Cyclone Gabrielle and the impact it has had on the price of staples in New Zealand, such as fruit and vegetables, but there are bigger issues at play as well. Food prices in New Zealand are higher than the global average due to other established issues, such as the lack of competition in the supermarket sector.
I used to wonder how poor people coped at the supermarket. Now it’s not only the poor who are struggling and the higher food prices are another part of Labour’s damaging legacy.
Labour’s steep increase in the minimum wage added to costs of production, processing, transport and retail.
It imposed other costs and compliance requirements on farmers, it made a major contribution to inflation and interest rates, and it incentivised converting productive land from farming to forestry.
When it costs more to produce food, and there’s less produced, it inevitably leads to higher prices.
Ele Ludemann is a North Otago farmer and journalist, who blogs HERE - where this article was sourced.
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