Inflation: food prices rise by almost 7% in the first half of March

In the midst of growing concern about the impact of inflation on the pockets of Argentines, a report by the consulting firm LCG reveals a worrying increase in the prices of food in the basic basket during the first half of March. According to this study, food prices registered an increase of 6.9% in the first fifteen days of the current month. This figure breaks down into a 3.3% increase during the second week of March, a slight decrease from the 3.6% increase seen in the first week. Among the items that contributed the most to this increase are beverages, whose increase was 8.77% during the last week, followed by ready-to-go meals with 5.69%. Baked goods and dairy also showed significant increases, with 4.35% and 2.93%, respectively. This increase takes place in a context of tensions between the government and supermarkets and leading consumer goods firms, which have been criticized for the application of promotions that, according to the Executive, hide the true inflation. Faced with this situation, last week, the opening of imports for products in the basic basket was announced as a measure to seek to moderate the rise in consumer prices through greater supply. The LCG report also highlights that in the last four weeks, three of the ten categories analyzed showed increases of more than 11%, including condiments and other food products with 20.1%, dairy and eggs with 17.4%, and meats with 11.7%. This worrying scenario reflects the complex economic situation that the country is facing, with a direct impact on the purchasing power of citizens and the need to find effective solutions to contain inflation and guarantee access to basic foodstuffs for the population.

Original source in Spanish