OTTAWA -- Canadian producer prices rose in March for the seventh month in a row, increasing by 0.8 per cent from February in part on higher prices for motorized and recreational vehicles, Statistics Canada said on Friday.

Statistics Canada revised February's increase up to 0.3 per cent from an initial 0.1 per cent. Of the 21 major commodity groups, prices climbed in 20 and fell in one in March.

Prices for motorized and recreational vehicles rose by 1.2 per cent, largely due to a 2.1-per-cent decrease in the Canadian dollar against the greenback in March. Many vehicles are priced in U.S. dollars and become more expensive when the Canadian currency declines.

Prices for primary non-ferrous metal products rose by 2.0 per cent, while chemicals and chemical products posted a 1.2 per cent increase.

Producer prices rose 5.1 per cent in the 12 months to March, the highest year-on-year gain since the 6.0 per cent recorded in November 2011.

Raw material prices fell by 1.6 per cent from February on declines for crude energy products. Compared with March 2016, raw material prices advanced by 16.6 per cent, largely due to higher prices for conventional crude oil.