São Paulo, November 4, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The basic food basket rose in price in October in 11 of the 16 capitals surveyed by the Inter-Union Department of Statistics and Socio-Economic Studies (Dieese). The cities where prices rose the most were Curitiba (3.04%), Florianópolis (2.79%), and Rio de Janeiro (2.31%). Meat and coffee were the products whose prices increased the most.

Among the capitals in which the price of the basic food basket fell, the most outstanding are Aracaju (-4.04%), João Pessoa (-3.79%), and Salvador (-3.32%).

In the capital of São Paulo, the basic food basket cost R$ 162.58, the second most expensive among the capitals studied. The price was 0.70% more than last month. Porto Alegre, where the basket cost R$ 165.62, continued to be the most expensive city for basic food products. The cheapest basket was in Recife, where it cost R$ 123.10.

Over the past 12 months, between November, 2002, and October, 2003, the greatest price increases for the basket occurred in the Northeast region: Natal (19.02%), Salvador (15.46%), and Fortaleza (15.22%). During this period the smallest increases were recorded in Florianópolis (8.63%) and Porto Alegre (9.52%). (DAS)