Food prices continue to rise
In March 2021 and compared to last month, the Household Final Consumer Price Index increased by 0.2% mainly due to another increase in food prices (+0.5% as last month), the acceleration in the prices of clothing and footwear (+0.6% after +0.1% last month), as well as the rebound in
prices of housing, water, gas, electricity and other fuels (+0.2% after -0.4% last month). The increase in food prices is largely due to the increase in the price of fish and seafood (+2.7% after +0.5% last month), meat (+1.8% after +0.2% last month), milk, cheese and egg (+0.8% after +2.9% last month), bread and cereals (+0.6% after +1.0% last month) as well as sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery (+0.6% after stability last month). On the other hand, the prices of fruit (-2.2% after -9.9% last month) continue to fall, those of salt, spices, sauces fall (-3.0%) after having increased (+10.1%) last month. The increase in fish and seafood prices is mainly due to higher prices for fresh fish (carp, cod), fish and other frozen seafood products (mackerel, machoiron, captain, sea bass) and fish and other dried or smoked products (mbouga or Bifaka, carp, dried or smoked shrimp, crayfish). Meat prices are rising in line with the rise in poultry prices. The increase in the prices of milk, cheese and eggs is mainly due to the increase in the price of eggs. Prices of bread and cereals are on the rise, mainly due to the increase in the prices of unprocessed cereals (dry maize grains, local or imported broken rice) and breads (mainly baguette bread). Prices for sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery are rising due to higher prices for jams, prepackaged honey, milk chocolate, chocolate spreads and alcoholic candy. Fruit prices continue to fall, in line with the decline in other fruit prices