The producer price index for agriculture increased by 16.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2014, according to figures released by the National Statistics Office.

The rise was mainly the result of a general drop in the supply of fresh vegetables, with higher producer prices being registered for onions, marrows and cauliflowers. In contrast, the price of potatoes dropped by six per cent.

Prices for fresh fruit fell by 0.6 per cent when compared to the same period last year. This was due to an increase in citrus fruit production, with the price of oranges declining by 10.4 per cent.

The animal slaughtering index went down by 2.5 per cent as lower prices were registered for the majority of slaughtered animals, mainly rabbits and pigs. The animal products index fell by 4.2 per cent on account of lower producer prices fetched for eggs.

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