Vegetable prices down but fruit sharply up

The producer price index for agricultural products stood at 99.1 points in the second quarter of 2007, an increase of 2.2 points (+2.3 per cent) from 96.9 points in the same period a year earlier, the National Statistics Office said yesterday.

A drop of 0.9 per cent was registered in the fresh vegetables price index, resulting from a general increase in the supply of fresh vegetables on the market. As a result, lower prices were fetched for tomatoes (-25.9 per cent), cauliflowers (-41.8 per cent) and sugar melons (-31.2 per cent). The prices of mushrooms and vegetable marrows rose by 2.1 per cent and 4.8 per cent respectively.

The fruit price index rose by 30.4 per cent to 127.7 points when compared to the corresponding quarter of last year. The increase in the fresh fruit price index resulted from a decline in the supply of fresh fruit, mainly peaches and strawberries, the prices of which registered increases of 29.3 per cent and 5.7 per cent respectively. On the other hand, citrus fruit prices fell because of an increase in the related supply on the market.

Agricultural producers received higher prices for potatoes (+47.6 per cent) and animal products (+3.1 per cent). The producer price for milk increased by 4.3 per cent as a result of a fall in the supply of raw milk. No change was recorded in the price of eggs. The animals index fell by 1.2 per cent, resulting from lower prices fetched for slaughtered bulls (-1.9 per cent) and pigs (-5.0 per cent). Prices for slaughtered cows and rabbits rose by 3.4 per cent and 1.2 per cent respectively.

The input price index for agriculture increased by 0.5 per cent, from 109.5 points in the second quarter of 2006 to 110.1 points. The goods and services index rose marginally on account of an increase in prices of materials maintenance (+2.6 per cent), buildings maintenance (+3.0 per cent) and of veterinary services (+4.3 per cent). The machinery and investment index rose by 2.1 per cent because of higher prices expended by farmers in machinery used in crop cultivation.