Chicken and turkey tail prices down in August while other popular umu items increase

By Samoa News staff reporters@samoanews.com Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Basic Food Index increased to 0.2% in the month of August and American Samoa shoppers have been experiencing this upward trend for two months now. Of the twenty food items monitored, six commodities experienced price increases this month. These items include rice (0.4%) $4.95 per 5 lbs , milk (1.2%) $2.62 a carton, fish (2.5%) $5.34 lb, and 2 ltrs ice cream (3.9%). Prices for taro and bananas are reportedly the highest. These two items are priced per pound. Average cost of taro (5.5%) $2.30, which is 12 cents higher than last month, while bananas cost $1.69, 13 cents higher this month. The good news is food commodities such as butter (-0.2%) $4.97, chicken (-0.2%) 10 lbs $19.79, soda (-0.9%) $1.09 a can, eggs (-2.1%) $1.85 a dozen, turkey tail (-3.8%) $2.50 lb, and sugar (-4.2%) 2 kg $3.43 — have all experienced a price drop. Eight food products remained unchanged this month including corned beef $5.86 a can, bread $3.60 a long loaf, mayonnaise $4.95, pork spare ribs $1.96 lb, saimin 60¢ a package, sausage $2.31 lb, tuna $2.39 a can, and water 50¢ a bottle. The Basic Food Index is a monthly rapid assessment of basic food items, to monitor the cost and availability of these 20 food products throughout the community. The BFI is not to be confused with the Quarterly Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is a comprehensive standard measure of inflation and the cost of living in American Samoa. A major upgrade to the survey coverage was implemented at the beginning of 2022, when 7 additional stores were included in the data collection process, extending coverage from Se'etaga in the West to Amouli in the East. In total, 14 major to mid-size retail stores have been selected for the monitoring of basic food costs. Section: Local News Tags: Basic Food Index (BFI)
2026-09-03 18:16:40