Fruit and vegetable prices increased almost 9 percent in the year ended December 2020, boosting overall food price inflation to 2.9 percent, Stats NZ said today. “In 2020 prices have been high for a variety of crops, including potatoes, courgettes and tomatoes, at different times of the year and for different reasons,” consumer prices manager Katrina Dewbery said. As a result of higher fruit and vegetable prices, overall food prices have been trending higher than the most recent consumers price index (CPI) inflation of 1.4 percent in the year ended September 2020, with December figures due to be released on 22 ... (full story)