Another decline in basic food index recorded in November

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The cost of basic food declined again in November by 0.7% after a 0.4% drop in October, according to the November 2019 Basic Food Index (BFI) report released this week by DOC, which surveyed seven major food outlets.

Four food items - chicken legs, pork spare ribs, ice cream and sugar - contributed to the decline in basic food cost, the BFI report said. A 22-pound box of chicken legs had the highest decrease of 4.5% in November, followed by a 2.0% drop in pork spare ribs and the rest with minimal decreases of less than a percentage each.

Although the November food index dropped, the report notes that the average prices for six food commodities - soda, fresh fish, rice, turkey tail, eggs and butter - increased. The report didn’t give a percentage of increase for these food items.

According to the report, the rest of the food items - bottled water, taro, milk, sausage, banana, saimin, canned tuna, bread, mayonnaise and corned beef - remained constant in November.