New data from Infometrics and Foodstuffs show costs from suppliers to supermarkets rose by 2.7% in June. 

Costs were up in all departments compared to last year, with around 2,000 items up in price from May to June. 

Infometrics Chief Forecaster Gareth Kiernan joins Ryan Bridge to discuss why. 

LISTEN ABOVE

New data from Infometrics and Foodstuffs show costs from suppliers to supermarkets rose by 2.7% in June. 
Costs were up in all departments compared to last year, with around 2,000 items up in price from May to June. 
Infometrics Chief Forecaster Gareth Kiernan joins Ryan Bridge to discuss why. 
LISTEN ABOVE

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Gareth Kiernan: Grocery prices up last month

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/e85f6f9e-31e7-4b9d-a016-b1a601484b13/transcript

Nicola Willis' Lotto comment yesterday was clumsy, but in the end, much ado about nothing.

The politics of this housing thing are pretty simple. You've got 80,000 social housing tenants who probably weren't going to vote National, who now definitely won't vote National. 

You've got 110,000 better-off voters who might soften to you. You've got a frothy media and opposition who will use this as a stick to beat the Government with until November.

But here are the facts. If you're a voter worried about rent, they're now materially cheaper than they were under the last lot. The average is down $30 a week nationwide, from $660 to $630 in April according to Realestate.co.nz.

They shot up for a couple of reasons, one of which was Labour's landlord-bashing interest deductibility shocker. Which didn't hit mega-slumlords, by the way, it hit mum-and-dad investors, many negatively geared, who couldn't afford to hold on to their retirement nest egg any longer, got hit with new tax and compliance costs, and got out. Shortages help push up prices.

The bad news is Labour's more likely than not to do this again if they get back to the Treasury benches. The social housing waitlist was 25,000 in 2023. It's now 19,700. Labour was paying $1 million a day on motels.

So, let's talk about what's cruel and what's fair, and what motivates these politicians. Let's play "who's more cruel".

Willis and Bishop are changing rules to even the playing field. It's cost neutral. The Government's not saving money here. Hipkins and Co. were banking $1.8 billion in extra taxes that other legitimate businesses weren't having to pay. Just landlords.

In which of these two scenarios are Kiwi renters better off, and in which are they worse off? If there's one thing worse than being cruel to be kind, it's being careless.

Nicola Willis' Lotto comment yesterday was clumsy, but in the end, much ado about nothing.
The politics of this housing thing are pretty simple. You've got 80,000 social housing tenants who probably weren't going to vote National, who now definitely won't vote National.&nbsp;
You've got 110,000 better-off voters who might soften to you. You've got a frothy media and opposition who will use this as a stick to beat the Government with until November.
But here are the facts. If you're a voter worried about rent, they're now materially cheaper than they were under the last lot. The average is down $30 a week nationwide, from $660 to $630 in April according to Realestate.co.nz.
They shot up for a couple of reasons, one of which was Labour's landlord-bashing interest deductibility shocker. Which didn't hit mega-slumlords, by the way, it hit mum-and-dad investors, many negatively geared, who couldn't afford to hold on to their retirement nest egg any longer, got hit with new tax and compliance costs, and got out. Shortages help push up prices.
The bad news is Labour's more likely than not to do this again if they get back to the Treasury benches. The social housing waitlist was 25,000 in 2023. It's now 19,700. Labour was paying $1 million a day on motels.
So, let's talk about what's cruel and what's fair, and what motivates these politicians. Let's play "who's more cruel".
Willis and Bishop are changing rules to even the playing field. It's cost neutral. The Government's not saving money here. Hipkins and Co. were banking $1.8 billion in extra taxes that other legitimate businesses weren't having to pay. Just landlords.
In which of these two scenarios are Kiwi renters better off, and in which are they worse off? If there's one thing worse than being cruel to be kind, it's being careless.

Ryan Bridge: What's cruel versus fair in the social housing debate

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 22 May.

Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 22 May. 
Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Full Show Podcast: 22 May 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/fd9491c2-b42a-4a7d-894e-b451012ac480/transcript

Climate policies for farmers may be revealing a competitive gap.  

New research by Beef + Lamb suggests there should be a focus on incentives for farmers who achieve climate change outcomes.  

Chair Kate Acland told Ryan Bridge we need to keep an eye on what the rest of the world's doing.  

She says most of the world doesn't have agricultural-specific targets, but a lot of countries are incentivising farmers to reach any kind of reduction. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

Climate policies for farmers may be revealing a competitive gap. &nbsp;
New research by Beef + Lamb suggests there should be a focus on incentives for farmers who achieve climate change outcomes. &nbsp;
Chair Kate Acland told Ryan Bridge we need to keep an eye on what the rest of the world's doing. &nbsp;
She says most of the world doesn't have agricultural-specific targets, but a lot of countries are incentivising farmers to reach any kind of reduction.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Kate Acland: Beef + Lamb NZ Chair on the research finding incentives could help farmers reduce emissions

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/d492e03a-db32-47d0-80bb-b451000434bf/transcript

Gareth Kiernan: Grocery prices up last month

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