In the last three months to February, basic foodstuffs such as
milk, rice, oil, flour
and household items such as
bleach, detergent and
toilet soap increased more than 100%.
On average, basic food prices
increased by 74.46% versus an average inflation of 64.74%
.
Due to the greater weight they have in the calculation of the INDEC Price Index, food prices
are those that push inflation
up the most and hit lower-income individuals and families the hardest.
These figures are behind the Economy's decision to facilitate the importation of food because in dollars prices abroad are lower than in the country, with the aggravating factor that the income of the population in Argentina in dollars is much lower than the from Europe or the US. And these price spikes took place despite the fact that domestic production is in decline, among other factors, due to the decline in the population's income, especially salaries and pensions.
Food prices affect almost 30% on the Capital
Price
Index and Greater Buenos Aires.
In the interior of the country, especially in the poorest regions, this incidence is higher and can even be around 40%.
For example, in the last 12 months, with an inflation of 277.1% in Capital and GBA, food prices were responsible for 79.19 points.
In the NEA, with a year-on-year inflation of 271.9%, food prices were responsible for 108.31 points
In the last three months, in the Metropolitan Region some basic foods and household items increased more than 100%.
This is the case of flour (+ 129.26%), white rice (+ 130.76%), sunflower oil (+ 117.03%), fresh milk (+ 122.90%), liquid detergent (+ 139 .38%), bleach (+127.70%) and toilet soap (+111.55%).
Meanwhile, INDEC reported that
food and beverage products show a level of utilization of installed capacity of 57.7%
, lower than that registered in January of the previous year (60.4%), linked mainly to the lower production of beverages. and dairy products.
According to data from the industrial manufacturing production index, the production of
soft drinks, waters, sodas, beers, diluted juices, ciders and spirits
registered an interannual decrease of 12.1% in January.
On the other hand, with regard to the production of
dairy products
, according to data from the National Dairy Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (SAGyP), the primary production of milk, raw material for the dairy industry, presents a interannual decrease of 12.6% in the month under analysis.
NE