Sharply rising beef prices due to the foot and mouth disease crisis are among the drivers of South Africa’s higher food inflation rate.
Food inflation in January was 4.4%, unchanged from December. The rate remained above the general inflation rate, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI). CPI declined slightly to 3.5% in January, from December’s 3.6%.
Beef mince was 44.8% more expensive in January than a year earlier, according to the monthly Food Inflation Brief from the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP). Other beef increases included rump steak (35%), brisket (31.1%) and stew (28.8%).
Beef was the driver for the 13.5% annual increase in the meat prices measured by StatsSA. The prices of poultry products were down in January – individually quick frozen (IQF) chicken portions and chicken giblets were both in the food deflation list.
