Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Following consumer concerns over the high price of goods at retailers doing business in the outer parts of Tutuila, the Commerce Department’s Statistics and Analysis Division, expanded its list to include samples from these areas in the January 2022 Basic Food Index (BFI) report that was released late last week.

 The BFI — initially implemented in January 2017 — is not to be confused with the Quarterly Consumer Price Index (CPI) — a comprehensive standard measure of inflation and the cost of living in the territory, according to DOC, which then explained the expansion of store outlets included in the January food index.

 In previous BFI reports, DoC stated that 7 major outlets were surveyed, but didn’t elaborate on their locations.

 “A community concern about the increased cost of food items especially in outer parts of the country has prompted the need to expand BFI coverage from East to West Tutuila,” the BFI report explains.

 It also says that seven new major to mid-size retail stores were added to the survey coverage from Se’etaga — on the West Side of Tutuila — to Amouli — on the East side. And that the new coverage now consists of 14 retail outlets and the first monthly comparative analysis will be presented in the February BFI report.

 According to the report, BFI in January registered another increase of 1.8% from the previous month and that the higher cost of thirteen, out of twenty food commodities, contributed to the month-over-month increases.

 “For the second month in a row, the cost of a 22-pound case of chicken remained above $18, despite a slight drop in the first month of 2022,” according to the report, which confirmed what Samoa News has heard from consumers about the spike in the costs of this food item as compared to the past years when — at times it was on “special sale” at wholesale stores for less than $10 a case.

 Samoa News recalls prior to the COVID-19 pandemic — declared in the territory in March 2020 — two wholesale stories in Tualauta county were selling cases of turkey tails and chicken legs at the low price of between $7.50 to $9.95 per case. Cases of these two types of food were popular purchases for shipment to Samoa.

 The DOC report also provides month-over-month increases, with eggs at 8%, sausage 7%, saimin and mayonnaise 6%, bread 5%, taro 5%, can of corn beef 3% and minimal increases in rice, spare ribs, fresh milk, ice cream, soft drinks and fish. All these food items contributed to the monthly increase.

 “The trend in BFI and food cost is rapidly climbing when compared” to January 2021 costs, according to the report, which provides a cost comparison of 8 food items between January 2021 and January 2022 with 20 or more percent annual increases.

 Topping the list of increases, is turkey tails — per pound — with an increase of 87.9% between January last year and January this year; followed by a 22-pound case of chicken legs at 51.0%; while third on the list is pork spare ribs at 38.5%.

 See Samoa News edition last week Thursday on the DOC’s 2021 inflation rate and 4th quarter of 2021 Consumer Price Index reports. It explains the reason behind the spike in food items last year and the increase expected this year as well.