THE HAGUE, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Dutch food companies have charged an average of 15 percent more for their products in February than in the same month a year earlier, the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) said on Wednesday.

       The sharp increase is mainly due to the higher prices of basic raw materials for food, such as grain, dairy and meat. The higher oil price also led to more expensive food, because transport became more expensive as a result. The high gas price also played a role, because a lot of gas is needed for the production of agricultural goods.

       Overall prices of Dutch-manufactured products were up by an average of 21.8 percent year on year in February, and that in January already experienced a year-on-year rise of 21.7 percent.