The inflation rate is decreasing across the country, according to the latest data issued by Statistics Canada, even as prices for some food items continue to rise.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) released on April 18 showed that inflation increased by 4.3 percent year-over-year in March after a 5.2 percent increase in February.

The report issued by StatCan stated that "while overall inflation has slowed in recent months, after rising by 1.7 percent in March compared to six months earlier, prices remain high."

Prices for items such as flour, fruit juices, and apples remained high in March, while prices for pork, tomatoes, and lettuce saw declines from February to March 2023.

Edible fats and oils also saw an increase of 19.3 percent year-over-year in March 2023, the largest among any food items in the updated Consumer Price Index. Between February and March 2023, prices for edible fats and oils rose by 1.1 percent.

Apple prices continue to rise as well, increasing by 3 percent from February to March 2023, with a 15.8 percent year-over-year increase.

Despite a monthly decrease of 3.2 percent, flour continued to see a significant year-over-year price jump of 14.4 percent.

Prices for pasta products made from eggs and flour remain high year-over-year with an inflation rate of 14.2 percent. Between February and March 2023, prices for these products rose by 1 percent.

Bread, rolls, and cakes prices also increased by 1.8 percent between February and March 2023, with an inflation rate of 13.5 percent year-over-year.

Grain prices rose in March, up 2.3 percent from February 2023. Year-over-year, grain prices increased by 12.4 percent.

In February, fruit juices saw a huge price increase largely due to the cost of oranges. In March, the cost of juice continued to rise by 12.7 percent year-over-year and by 2.2 percent from February 2023.

Slow inflation in these items:

Although prices for most groceries have increased or remained steady, prices for some items have begun to decline.

Between February and March 2023, tomatoes experienced the largest price drop, decreasing by 8.9 percent. The annual price increase for the product still stands at 10.9 percent.

Lettuce prices fell by 6.8 percent month-over-month with an annual difference of 8 percent.

Bacon prices also dropped by 3.6 percent between February and March 2023, falling by 1 percent year-over-year. Bananas saw a 1.1 percent decrease with a 1 percent annual difference.