Be the first to comment!Agricultural producer and input prices increase by 2.9 and 22.4% respectively
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During the second quarter of 2008, producer and input prices for agricultural output increased by 2.9 and 22.4 per cent respectively.
Producer Price Index
The producer price index for agricultural products rose by 2.9 per cent, from 101.6 points in the second quarter of 2007 to 104.6 points in the corresponding quarter of 2008.
The fresh vegetables price index rose by 6.3 per cent over the second quarter of 2007. As a result of the general decrease in the supply of fresh vegetables on the market, increases in the producer prices of tomatoes (+13.4 per cent), vegetable marrows (+30.1 per cent) and sugar melons (+36.0 per cent) were recorded. A decline of 32.7 per cent was registered in the average price of potatoes over the comparative period.
An increase of 7.4 per cent was recorded in the fruit price index when compared to the same quarter last year, to stand at 136.1 points. This was mainly due to an increase in the average prices of strawberries (+9.73 per cent) and figs (+27.0 per cent).
There was a minimal increase of 0.02 per cent in the slaughtered animals index. Higher prices were registered for slaughtered cows (+4.1 per cent), poultry (+4.0 per cent) and rabbits (+1.6 per cent) which were offset by lower prices recorded for bulls (- 13.0 per cent).
The animal products index increased by 20.6 per cent on account of higher producer prices fetched for raw milk (+28.9 per cent), while the price of eggs remained unchanged.
Input Price Index
In the second quarter of 2008, the input price index for agriculture stood at 127.4 points, an increase of 23.3 points (+22.4 per cent) over the second quarter of 2007, mainly due to higher feeding costs.
The goods and services index registered an increase of 25.1 per cent over the comparative period, due to higher prices recorded for feeding stuffs (+38.4 per cent), maintenance of materials (+21.1 per cent) and motor fuels (+20.8 per cent). The machinery and investment index declined by 5.5 per cent due to lower prices paid for materials (-11.7 per cent). On the other hand, the buildings index registered an increase of 1.3 per cent.
