BUENOS AIRES: Argentina's official inflation was reported at 0.7 percent in March, speeding up from February's 0.5 percent rate but falling below the reading from March 2012 thanks to price accords with retailers, government data showed on Friday.

The country's inflation figures are widely disputed and private economists estimated that consumer prices rose by 1.9 percent last month, according to the median in a Reuters poll of five analysts.

<Center><b><i>Copyright Reuters, 2013</b></i><br></center>