Food inflation, notably price of beef, leads in pushing CPI upward: Stats SA
Patrick Kelly, chief director of price statistics at Stats SA, said among other categories of inflation, the annual inflation rate for food and non-alcoholic beverages recorded its highest levels in more than a year.
'After holding steady at 2.8% in April and May, consumer inflation edged higher to 3% in June. The month-on-month change in the CPI was 0.3%. The annual rate for food and non-alcoholic beverages reached a 15-month high of 5.1% in June.
'Meat, particularly beef, continues to be the main driver of food inflation. Beef prices spiked for a third successive month, with high annual and monthly increases recorded for stewing beef, mince and steak.'
Conversely, Kelly said, fuel prices continued a downward trajectory and declined for a fourth consecutive month.
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