Statistics Canada said although the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the benchmark for general inflation, stood at 5.2 per cent this February 2023, food inflation was higher at 9.7 per cent.
Allyson Fradella, an economist working for Statistics Canada, said in a report published last November food inflation had several concurrent causes.
“Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many factors have impacted prices at the grocery store, such as supply chain disruptions, labour shortages, changes in consumer purchasing patterns, poor weather in some growing regions, tariffs, higher input costs, and higher wages”, Fradella said
She said these causes were occurring more intensely than in previous occasions.
According to another survey conducted by Statistics Canada in April 2022, 43 per cent of Canadians said they were most affected by food inflation.
The survey said 20 per cent of Canadians are very or somewhat likely to obtain food from community organizations in the next six months.
Statistics Canada said on its website CPI follows international standards and is based on a basket of goods and services, which is fixed according to Canadians’ preferences and it will be updated on June 20, 2023.
The CPI for March is scheduled to be published on April 19.