BLANTYRE (Reuters) - High food prices and transport costs pushed Malawi inflation up to 8.2 percent year-on-year in March from 8 percent in February, the National Statistical Office (NSO) said on Thursday.

"The current rise in inflation is due mainly to the recent upward adjustments in the price of gasoline which has pushed transport costs up and increased the price of cereal products," NSO said in a statement.

It said the shortage of maize had also contributed to a rise in inflation, in a country where the food index makes up 58.1 percent of the consumer price index.

Malawi's second consecutive surplus harvest of staple grain maize helped reduce inflation from 15 percent in June 2006 to single digits last year. But higher fuel prices are putting upward pressure on food prices and pushing inflation up again.

Last month the International Monetary Fund said that while the upward movement of inflation is a concern, Malawi can manage to keep it under control.