WELLINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Prices for New Zealand's main commodity exports rose for the 10th straight month in December, driven by increases in aluminium, dairy and timber prices, a survey showed on Wednesday.
The ANZ Bank's commodity price index rose 2.6 percent from the previous month, driven by a 12 percent rise in aluminium prices, a 4.1 percent increase for wood pulp and 3 percent rise in dairy prices.
Over calendar 2009, the index climbed 30 percent. It is only 6 percent off the record high reached in July 2008.
Translated into New Zealand dollar earnings, the index was 4.3 percent higher than in November and 1.7 percent higher than a year ago.
The index covers price movements in commodities that together account for around 60 percent of New Zealand's NZ$42 billion ($31 billion) in annual export earnings.
($1=NZ$1.35)
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