The Producer Price Index (Manufacturing) for December 2014 stood at 106.2 points, representing a decrease of 1.6 per cent when compared with the 107.9 points recorded the previous month.

Decreases were registered for Beverages by 7.9 per cent; Petroleum and Chemical Products by 2.5 per cent; Other Non-metallic Mineral Products by 1.9 per cent; and Fabricated Metal Products, except Machinery and Equipment, by 1.0 per cent.

Increases were recorded for Other Manufacturing by 0.9 per cent and Furniture by 0.3 per cent.

Food Products, Wearing Apparel, Printing and Reproduction of Recorded Media and Rubber and Plastics Products remained constant over the period.??Between December 2013 and December 2014, the Producer Price Index decreased by 1.0 per cent, from 107.3 points to 106.2 points.

Food Production

The Food Production Sector experienced a decline of 0.4 per cent between December 2013 and December 2014. Decreases in prepared animal feeds of 5.6 per cent; sugar by 2.7 per cent and vegetable and animal oils and fats by 1.5 per cent contributed to the decline.

However, increases were recorded during the period for the processing and preserving of fish, crustaceans and molluscs by 35.9 per cent, and the processing and preserving of meat by 0.2 per cent.

Beverages

Beverages decreased by 8.3 per cent during the period December 2013 to December 2014. This was due to a decline in distilling, rectifying and blending of spirits of 15.2 per cent.

Other Non-Metallic Mineral Products

This sector showed an increase of 0.3 per cent between December 2013 and December 2014. An increase of 0.6 per cent in articles of concrete, cement and plaster was recorded during the period.

Fabricated Metal Products, except machinery and equipment

An increase of 1.9 per cent was recorded for this sector during the period December 2013 to December 2014. This can be attributed to a 4.7 per cent increase in the index for forging, pressing, stamping and roll-forming of metal; and powder metallurgy.

Author: Economic Affairs Division/BGIS

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