JORDAN, Guimaras – The annual rate of change in the prices of food commodities in Guimaras eased further to -0.6 percent deflation in April.
This was slower than the 0.1 percent inflation in March 2021, pushed down by the slower annual increment on the prices of seven food commodity items, which toned down the hike on meat, oils and fats prices.
“Annual inflation in April 2021 was much slower than the 5.0 percent recorded in April 2020 which was the fastest annual rate of change in the past 13 months,” said Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida Losare.
From then, inflation continued to drop for six consecutive months until it reached its slowest rate at -1.2 percent in October 2020, Losare added.
Inflation picked up to 0.4 percent and 0.5 percent in November and December, respectively.
In 2021, the annual rate of change started at a slower rate of -0.5 percent in January which jumped to 2.0 percent in February and finally slid to 0.1 percent in March until -0.6 percent in April 2021, the slowest rate of change in the first four months of 2021.
Among the food groups, three food commodity items increased prices in April:
* Oils and fats at 13.6 percent from 13.3 percent in March
* Fruits at 1.2 percent from 0.55 percet, and
* Meat at 11.1 percent from 6.1 percent a month ago.
Slower pace in the annual rate of change on the eight food commodity items were noted in April:
* Vegetables at -5.9 percent deflation from 1.9 percet inflation in March 2021
* Food Products N.E.C. with -2.8 percent from 3.1 percenet
* Other cereals, flour, cereal preparation, bread, pasta and other bakery products at 1.2 percent from 3.4 percent
* Sugar, Jam, Honey, Chocolate and Confectionery at -1.1 percent from 0.5 percent;
* Chocolate and Confectionery at -1.0 percent from -1.1 percent
* Fish at 2.4% from 5.7 percent
* Milk, cheese, and eggs at 2.6 percent from 3.9 percent
Meanwhile, food inflation in April inched up to 0.4 percent from -0.9 percent in March 2021 fueled by the price hikes on five food commodity items:
* Meat at 5.7 percent from -1.3 percent in March
* Fish at 0.5 percent from 0.4 percent
* Milk, Cheese and Eggs at 0.1 percent from -1.0 percent
* Oils and Fats at 0.2 percent from -0.4 percent, and
* Sugar, Jam, Honey, Chocolate, and Confectionery at 0.6 percent from -1.4 percent
“Among the food groups, only two food items managed to decrease prices in April relative to their prices a month ago: Fruit at -2.3 percent from -1.1 percent, and Bread and Cereals at 0.6 percent from 0.8 percent, while the rest of the food commodity items moved a bit faster,” Losare said. (PSA/PN)
