Will it be kiwifruit or strawberries for Christmas?

Topping off the Christmas pavlova with kiwifruit may be more costly than last year, but strawberry prices are down as the holidays approach, Stats NZ said today.

Prices for other Christmas goodies such as soft drinks, boxed chocolates, and pork roast are also down.

In November, kiwifruit prices rose 67 percent, to a weighted average price of $6.25 per kilogram. This compares with $3.32 in November last year.

"We typically see kiwifruit prices begin to rise in July of each year and peak in March. However, this November we saw prices similar to previous March peaks," consumer prices manager Sarah Johnson said.

"Prices for soft drinks dropped to a weighted average price of $2.64 in November, down from $2.84 in October. The price of a 250 gram box of chocolates also fell to $7.14 in November, down from $8.41 in October."

Strawberry prices also fell in November, down 34 percent.

Vegetable prices down for month

Falling vegetable prices contributed to a 0.7 percent overall drop in food prices in November.

Seasonal produce such as tomatoes contributed to a 3.1 percent fall in overall fruit and vegetable prices in the month of November.

• Tomato prices fell 51 percent to a weighted average price of $3.44 per kilogram.
• Broccoli prices fell 19 percent to a weighted average price of $5.47 per kilogram.
• Cucumber prices fell 23 percent to a weighted average price of $5.00 per kilogram.

"The 51 percent fall in tomato prices in November follows a 24 percent fall in October," Mrs Johnson said.

Price falls for tomatoes, broccoli, and cucumbers are typical in November.

Meat, poultry, and fish prices up in November

Despite the lower prices for pork roast in November, prices for meat, poultry, and fish continued to rise, up 0.1 percent for the month and up 4.7 percent for the year.

These price increases contributed to the 2.4 percent rise in overall food prices for the year.

Porterhouse beef was the biggest driver of the monthly increase, up 4.2 percent in November. This was partly offset by sausages (down 4.3 percent), and lamb chops (down 3.5 percent).