Port-of-Spain, Trinidad --- Feb. 23, 2007 -- The latest inflation numbers released by the Central Statistical Office indicate that the rate of inflation slowed for the third consecutive month, after having peaked at 10 per cent in October 2006. Headline inflation measured 8.6 per cent on a year-on-year basis to January 2007 compared to 9.1 per cent in December 2006 and 9.6 per cent in November 2006. Food price inflation, which had reached 26.5 per cent in October 2006 and declined to 22.0 per cent in December
2006, slowed further to 20.9 per cent year-on-year to January 2007.

Increases in the food sub-index came mainly from vegetables (36.9 per cent), fruit (19.1 per cent), fish (29.8 per cent) and meat (17 per cent). The slowing of food price inflation is partly related to the broadening of the agricultural distribution network, which has created more of a direct link
between farmers and consumers. This has contributed to greater price awareness and facilitated comparison shopping among consumers.

Source: central-bank.org.tt