The food inflation has risen to 29.34 percent as the prices of major food items such as maize, milk and plantain have almost doubled within 12 months leading the pack in terms of the largest price increase in the country.

According to a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the average price of 1kg of maize grain (white sold lose) increased by 93 percent to N580.1 in August 2023 from N300.5 in the same period of last year while the yellow type grew by 90.2 percent to N583.7 from N306.9.

In the same vein, the average price of a 170g evaporated canned milk carnation rose by 81.7 percent to N431.3. The price of 1kg of plantain (unripe) and plantain (ripe) climbed by 78.6 percent and 77.1 percent respectively.

Others are a 170g evaporated canned milk (peak), which grew by 76.1 percent; 1kg of rice (local sold loose), 62.7percent; 1kg of rice (medium grained), 51.5 percent and 1kg of garri (white sold loose), 49.2 percent.

The report also revealed that the total average food price for the 43 food items rose by 31.5 percent to N51,414.1 from N39,108.5 with 1kg of frozen chicken (N 3,144.1), 1kg of Beef, boneless (N2,799.5), 1kg of dried catfish (N2,650.0), 1kg of dried mudfish (N2,535.1) and dried fish sardine (N2,226.9) recording the highest prices for August.

In the NBSs latest Consumer Price Index report, food inflation rose to 29.34 percent, the highest in 18 years from 26.98 percent in July. Food inflation, which constitutes 50 percent of the inflation rate, was the major factor that pushed the countrys headline inflation to 25.80 percent from 24.08 percent.

The rise in the food inflation on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in prices of oil and fat, bread and cereals, fish, fruit, meat, vegetables and potatoes, yam and other tubers, milk, cheese and eggs, the NBS said. (Vanguard)