Prices for New Zealand's main commodities fell for the first time in three months in April, driven by a renewed slide in dairy prices, ANZ Bank's commodity price index showed on Monday. The index fell 7.4 percent for the month, to be 15.3 percent lower than the same month a year ago.
Dairy prices were down 15.2 percent, offsetting small gains for meat, wool, and fruit products. The relative strength of the kiwi dollar also hit local currency export earnings, falling 8.9 percent on the previous month, and 6.8 percent lower than a year ago.