Wholesale prices (the producer price index) in the United States rose 1 percent in March 2007, following a 1.3 percent increase in February. %% The United States government concluded that volatile energy and food prices do not suggest inflation is spreading. When gasoline and food price increases are removed from the picture, all other price increases were flat in March the government concluded. Gasoline prices rose 8.7 percent in March, and food rose 1.4 percent following a 1.9 percent increase in February.