Annual food price inflation was 8.4% in July and prices rose 0.6% from June as cold winter weather hampered growing conditions and pushed up vegetable prices, Statistics New Zealand (Stats NZ) said on Thursday.

The 3.1% rise in fruit and vegetable prices from June accounted for nearly all of the increase in the overall index over the month, Stats NZ said. Lettuce prices rose by 41.6% over the month, and represented three-quarters of the overall increase.

The meat, poultry and fish subgroup experienced price falls of 0.7% in July, although prices were still up 12.4% from a year ago, compared to 12.1% annually in June.

Overall prices in the grocery food subgroup rose 0.5% in July, and annual growth was 7.8%, from 7.9% in June.

Both the non-alcoholic beverages group and the restaurant and ready-to-eat food subgroup saw 0.3% monthly rises, with the former up 7.1% from July 2008 (7.3% in June), and the latter up 4% from a year ago (4.3% in June).

In June, overall food prices rose 2.8% from May.