Mince prices beefing up
Friday, 18 July 2025
The homemade beef burger or a side of nachos now costs Wairarapa supermarket shoppers substantially more than last year due to the rising price of mince.
The average price of beef mince across 24 products from seven supermarkets in Wairarapa was approximately $27.85 per kg at the non-sale price on July 16.
Masterton resident and former butcher John Kennedy said he was following a full meat-based carnivore diet, consuming only salt, meat, and water.
As a result, his grocery bill had increased significantly over the last six months, he said.
“It sickens me to see the meat prices today,” he said.
He had shopped at Woolworths in Masterton and mentioned that he could buy a 1kg pack of mince for $14.90 six months ago, which was $21.90 this week.
That’s an increase of about 47% from the original sum.
Kennedy added that families’ budgets would also be feeling the impact.
Nicola Growden of StatsNZ said the average cost for 1kg of beef mince was $21.73 in June this year, up from $18.80 last year.
The spike was being driven by soaring global demand and low supply overseas, turning everyday staples into luxuries.
Federated Farmers Wairarapa president Robert Hickson said the region’s beef farmers were happy when prices went up.
New Zealand’s ground beef was in strong demand in the United States where it was used in hamburger patties, he said.
However, the wholesale price of mince wasn’t much different from the price of prime cuts like rump steaks.
“The consequence is that a farmer producing very good quality meat, usually Angus or Hereford, doesn't get paid significantly more for those animals than if they’re just raising an old dairy bull,” Hickson said.
Although better cuts could be taken from the steer, processors weren’t willing to pay a premium because the high price of mince exported to the US was more profitable, he said
Many New Zealand farms operated at a loss last financial year due to poor lamb prices, although beef prices held up well, he said.
In the current market, farmers were getting even better returns on beef, and lamb prices had mostly recovered.
Woolworths Masterton sold beef mince with varying fat contents, with prices starting at $21.90 for a 1kg tray of 18% fat mince, and up to $33 per kg for the 5% fat option on a 500g tray.
New World Masterton and Carterton offered NZ Prime Mince at $25.99 per kg, with premium mince priced at $30.99 per kg.
Pak’nSave Masterton sold NZ beef mince for $18.99 per kg, with both premium and prime mince available at $20.99 per kg.
Moore Wilson’s Masterton provided NZ Angus pure beef mince for $23.95 per 1kg or $12.50 for 500g.
FreshChoice Featherston had beef prime mince priced at $21.99 per kg, with the premium version costing $25.99.
FreshChoice Greytown sold beef prime mince for $22.99 per kg, while the premium was priced at $28.99.
The Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI) recent report indicated that beef and veal export revenue was expected to increase by 10%, reaching $4.9 billion for the year ending 30 June.
“Beef export prices reach record levels amid tighter global beef supplies,” the report said.
Beef and veal export prices were forecast to grow by 18% to $10.25 per kg in 2024/25, driven by tightening global beef supplies.
Sheep and beef farm profit before tax was predicted to increase by 89% in 2024/25, as higher farm revenue more than offset increased farm expenditure.
Farm profitability was expected to improve across all sheep and beef farm classes, with the average farm profit before tax increasing by 89% to $106,500 per farm.