By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – The National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday, April, 15, 2021, disclosed a surge in food inflation in March, 2021.
This was contained in the consumer price index/inflation report released by the Bureau.
The increase was attributed to rises in the cost of most patronised food items including bread, cereals, potatoes, yam/ tubers, meat, vegetable, fish, oils, fats and fruits.
According to the report, the percentage of the inflation in food prices in March stood at 18.17 percent, the highest in four years and an increment from the previous month’s 17.33 percent.
It also showed that it was the highest inflation rate since January 2017 when it was at 18.72 percent.
On a year-on-year basis, the food inflation rose by 1.16 percent to 21.79 percent in February, and moved to 22.95 in March.
The report stated: “The urban inflation rate increased by 18.76 percent (year-on-year) in March 2021 from 17.92 percent recorded in February 2021, while the rural inflation rate increased by 17.60 percent in March 2021 from 16.77 percent in February 2021.
“In March 2021, food inflation on a year on year basis was highest in Kogi (29.71%), Sokoto (27.02%) and Ebonyi (26.59%), while Abuja (20.10%), Kebbi (19.98%) and Bauchi (18.61%) recorded the slowest rise in year on year inflation.
“On month on month basis however, March 2021 food inflation was highest in Rivers (3.52%), Niger (2.92%) and Gombe (2.85%), while Zamfara (0.51%) recording the slowest rise in month on month food inflation with Yobe and Kebbi recording price deflation or negative inflation (general decrease in the general price level of food or a negative food inflation rate).”