Ads by Google Ads by Google

Prices of some food items hiked in December during the holidays

Pieces of chicken on a cutting board.
reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The hike in the prices of seven food commodities — fresh fish, chicken legs, pork spare ribs, sausage, canned tuna, turkey tail and corned beef — contributed to the increase of the Basic Food Index for the territory last month, according to the BFI report for December released last Wednesday by the ASG Commerce Department.

The report states that the cost of a 22-pound box of chicken increased for the first time since January 2018 by 3.5%. Prices for canned tuna and turkey tails also “showed a substantial increase” in December.

However, the report noted there was a decrease in prices for some food items, such as taro, milk, eggs, and mayonnaise. According to DOC, the price of food items not specifically referenced in the report remained constant from the previous month.