4908 (2025). Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan to the Associate Minister of Education

4908 (2025). Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan to the Associate Minister of Education: Is Gilmours, as the wholesaler for the Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme, allowed to increase their prices; if so, how often are they allowed to increase, and what is the limit, if any, on the amount they can increase their prices by?

Hon David Seymour: I am advised by the Ministry of Education that preferential pricing on food items is published on the Gilmours portal, each term, based on seasonality of ingredients. A cost-effective menu and a range of hot and cold recipes based on Gilmours wholesale pricing is provided to support internal model schools and iwi and hapū partners to provide lunch for the $4 per meal price point. Internal model schools and iwi/hapū providers are still able to source ingredients locally or from other wholesalers if it is financially viable.