Fruit and vegetable prices rose 5.2% in June, helping push the food price index up 1.3% for the month.
The monthly figures lifted food prices to an annual increase of 8.2%.
Food prices, as measured by Statistics New Zealand, along with the rising cost of petrol, helped push inflation to 4% for the year ended June.
For the month of June, meat, poultry and fish prices rose 1.3%, grocery food prices rose 0.4% and restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food prices rose 0.6%.
Non-alcoholic beverage prices fell 0.3%.
Data out yesterday showed the most significant individual contributions for the rise in the index came from lettuce (up 34.4%), poultry (up 4.8%), oranges (up 28.9%), apples (up 13.1%) and peaches (up 79%).
The most significant downward movement in prices came from tomatoes (down 18.8%) and sausages (down 12.6%).
For the year, all five food sub-groups increased with grocery (up 12.1%) the most significant mover in prices.
Restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food was up 5.5%, fruit and vegetables were up 8.7%, meat, poultry and fish was up 4.4% and non-alcoholic beverages was up 4.9%.
Staple food items of fresh milk (up 22%), cheddar cheese (up 61.9%), bread (up 15.2%) and butter (up 86.6%) had the largest increases.
