Statistics New Zealand says food prices have had their smallest increase since September 2018. Food prices rose 0.2% in the 12 months to May, with the lower food price inflation driven by cheaper prices for fruit, vegetable, meat, poultry, and fish. Broader food groups like restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food prices were up 4.8% in the last 12 months, while grocery food prices edged up 1.3% and non-alcoholic beverage prices rose 2.7% in the same period. “Of all the items in the food basket, cheaper cheese prices had the largest impact on overall food prices,” Mitchell said. Because of the weaker food prices data, Westpac economists said they had revised its CPI expectations from 0.8% in June to 0.6%.

Northland had the highest NEET rate, at 16.3 percent of people aged 15 to 24, followed by Bay of Plenty, at 16.2 percent. He said NEET rate increases often foreshadowed other employment changes. He said more should be done to help NEET young people. For teenagers specifically, employment rates and average hours worked were the highest on record in the late 1980s, Stats NZ said. "Employment rates for teenagers from 2022 to 2024 rose from the previous decade, but average hours per employed youth remained low.

By weaponising the Public Service against the Māori Party over the Manurewa Marae allegations, Luxon has doubled down on what is already a deeply anti-Māori agenda. Prime Minister Chris Luxon is manufacturing a brown smokescreen because hard to reach Māori family might have received a KFC voucher they weren’t entitled to! This all from a Government who awarded Bill English $500 000 over a text message to condemn State Housing while promoting his daughters company as the solution, but it’s da Māoris that need scrutiny! What’s more damaging to NZ Democracy? If only Prime Minister Luxon was so demanding of scrutiny of his own use of power as he is of the Māori Party.

A neighbor's security camera revealed that in the five minutes Chada had been inside his cafe, someone came and stole his truck. Along with filing a complaint with the police, he posted about the stolen truck on the cafe's social media, including an image from the security footage of the man who stole it. Cafe owner’s stolen truck returned with sorry note, toys for son, via @nzherald https://t.co/pso0yo1aN0 — ZeeOneCloudWatcher (@ZeeOneNZ) November 25, 2023Chada was stunned and immediately informed the police. Whoever took the truck left some new toys for Chada's son in the truck and also felt obligated to leave an apology note. It was exactly where I'd parked it, and I walked up to the window, and there was a note inside it."

Retirement village company Ryman Healthcare has been a financial disaster. Video / Carson BluckAs one of the worst-performing stocks of the year and the fury of financial analysts for many more, Ryman Healthcare has been a financial disaster, its executive chairman Dean Hamilton admits. “Yeah, I think the financial performance has slowly deteriorated,” he told Markets with Madison. “Never waste an opportunity, Madison!”Watch Dean Hamilton discuss his plan to rescue Ryman and restore investor faith in the retirement village operator in today’s episode of Markets with Madison above. Madison Reidy is host and executive producer of the NZ Herald’s investment show Markets with Madison.

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Although they still rose, international container freight rates were up 'only' +2% last week from the week before and seem to have topped out now. The China 10 year bond rate is unchanged as usual at 2.32%. The Kiwi dollar starts today -20 bps softer at just under 61.7 USc. Against the Aussie we are +20 bps firmer at 93 AUc. That all means our TWI-5 starts today little-changed at just under 71.2.

Stuff Group is taking out the prize for having the biggest digital and print audience in the country. NZ House & Garden magazine reaches 374,000 readers each month, 29% ahead of its nearestcompetitor. New Zealand Gardener magazine reaches 245,000 Kiwis every month, the same numberas it did in the previous quarter while TV Guide retains the largest reach of the three at 335,000 Kiwisevery week. Stuff Brand Connections Managing Director Matt Headland says premium print content continues toattract large audiences even as they migrate to paid digital subscriptions. “Our commercial partners know the value of advertising and integrating into high-trust products with highly-engaging, quality local journalism, both in digital and print.

Knowing full well the insurance territory is a serious one, AA Life Insurance has changed tack for its new campaign – choosing to celebrate life’s fun but precious moments instead. The campaign, launched with creative agency Quantum Jump, is flipping the common insurance territory on its head, choosing joy, over scaremongering. “We asked Quantum Jump to approach the category differently”, said Adelia Prayugo, AA Life Insurance Marketing Manager. Stitching these moments together allows the campaign to relish life’s joy. We’re focused on celebrating the small moments within the big ones.”With media planned by Rocket, the campaign is running across OOH, radio, YouTube, TikTok, native and display.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon welcomed Premier Li Qiang to Wellington on Thursday for the first high-level visit from the Chinese government since 2017. The head of government was here to mark the tenth anniversary of New Zealand China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership which was signed by John Key in 2014. However, the relationship between China and New Zealand has cooled considerably since Luxon’s predecessor inked the agreement which even included military cooperation. Growth in the value of goods exported to China stalled in 2021 and dropped 8% in the year ended March. Premier Li agreed that it was important to expand trade and invited NZ to be a guest of honor at the China Import Expo in Shanghai this year.

Follow the podcast onThe Fitch ratings agency is casting doubts on New Zealand's economic future. The agency is considering bringing down the nation's rating, amid concerns surrounding increased debt and low immigration flow. NZ Herald Business editor-at-large Liam Dann unpacks the implications of this news. LISTEN ABOVE

Negotiations have commenced for initiating a papaya cultivation project in Tairāwhiti, focusing on both the fruit and leaf's properties. Raymond Young, the CEO of Fuller Young International, has engaged with a local nursery to start Gisborne's inaugural commercial Carica papaya crop trial. The health benefits of papaya leaves and fruit are well-documented, with scientific research highlighting their bioactive compounds that possess anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties. Fuller Young International, a Queenstown-based entity led by Young, will provide the "Wakatengu" cultivar seeds for the trial at Manutuke by Tai Kupenga Ltd. According to Trevor Mills, the local project manager, this trial represents a significant opportunity for establishing a commercial crop aimed at producing medical, nutraceutical, and high-value food products.

The savage attack 15 months ago inside a lift at the Whangārei courthouse left family lawyer Brintyn Smith with multiple injuries, including a fractured sternum, nose and thyroid, extensive bruising to the face and a concussion. Without warning Aydon launched himself at Smith, punching him in the face and knocking him backwards into the lift. Smith remembers waking on the floor of the lift, yelling for help and being in real fear for his life. Initially, he didn't see a return to Family Court and lawyer for child work, but with help and guidance, he is slowly making his way back. Smith said security needed to be stationed throughout the building at all times, especially when family court was sitting.

The transfer also includes all video content post-June 2017. In April, Stuff had a unique audience of 2.1 million, the NZ Herald 1.96 million, Newshub 1.3 million, RNZ 1.2 million and 1News 787,000, according to Nielsen figures. The migration of Newshub content to Stuff is expected to start this month and take several months. A Warner Bros Discovery spokesman said: “The work the Newshub team has done over the years is so important to New Zealand’s history. A Newshub source said the company’s specialised digital team – some 13 people – were “deeply frustrated with a lack of comms from Stuff on the future of the high-performing Newshub website”.

He Waka Eke Noa was the last Government’s attempt to get the farming sector to do what all other sectors will have to do and that is pay for its emissions. As I said previously the report recommended the introduction of farm-level split-gas levy on agricultural emissions with incentives to reduce emissions and sequester carbon. Existing Government proposals were expected to result in the sector’s methane emissions reduction reaching the Government target of 10%. already being experienced in many regions, the farming sector has more to lose than most from the ever-increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions. “The reality is, government required or not, our agriculture sector will have to adapt over the coming years and reduce emissions.