Food prices increased an average 2.2 percent during the past year, exactly in line with the national inflation rate.
However, during the past dozen years, the cumulative impact of food price increases has been far less than the general inflation rate.
Statistics Canada last week reported that since 1986, the Canadian inflation rate calculated through the Consumer Price Index increased 37 percent.
By contrast, the food price index has increased 29.5 percent.
In January, the price of food purchased from stores increased by 0.7 percent, according to Statistics Canada.
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But that is “a relatively small increase for January” because at that time of year fresh vegetables must be imported and prices often are higher.
Plebiscite concerns
The issue of fairness in the barley plebiscite made it to the floor of the House of Commons last week as Reform MP Elwin Hermanson complained about the vote-counting process.
The issue of whether farmers should be able to appoint their own scrutineers has been percolating on the prairies for weeks.
“Farmers in western Canada believe they are being denied scrutineers who would ensure the accuracy and integrity of the vote and avoid the perception of bias,” he told the Commons Feb. 20.
“If Liberals try to deny farmers one of the most basic fundamental rights of democracy by not allowing a proper scrutineering process, it will be the minister and his fellow Liberals who will be roasted in the next election.”
