Inflation slows in October, but remains above the Central Bank's target ceiling

"Tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, okra don't like rain. They like clear weather, sun. And they only have these tomatoes because of the greenhouses. Because if they were from the field, there wouldn't be any tomatoes", says market vendor Domingos Fonseca.

"There's no way to avoid buying tomatoes, because we have to use tomatoes. But then I reduce the quantity", says housekeeper Eunice Ramose.

Food rose, on average, 1.04% in October. The IPCA, the index that measures official inflation, was 0.14%, after having registered 0.82% in September. Other components contributed to holding the index. Important help came from the housing group. The main reason was the electricity bill: the change from the yellow tariff flag to the green one removed the additional energy charge. The transport group fell, benefiting especially from the reduction in gasoline prices.

The IPCA came in below market expectations. But, according to economists, the prices of many products and services continue to put pressure on inflation. This is the case of air tickets, which were 9% cheaper in October, but were experiencing an equivalent increase in September. The rise and fall of tickets depends on the season, just as food prices are linked to variations in the weather. Uncertainties that increase the government's challenge of closing the year within the inflation target.

"We have to do the domestic economy. This means that we will choose some products that are more affordable - in general, they are seasonal products - and also look at the offers", says journalist Isabel Clavelin.