(Stock Image)

(Stock Image)

The Producer Price Index (Manufacturing) recorded an increase of 0.3 per cent for April, 2016 when compared to March, 2016.

According to data produced by the Barbados Statistical Service, increases were recorded in the indices for printing and reproduction of recorded media by 2.5 per cent, beverages by 2.2 per cent and other manufacturing by 1.2 per cent.

Declines were registered for fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment, by 1.0 per cent; petroleum and chemical products by 0.6 per cent and food products by 0.1 per cent.

Price indices which remained unchanged from March to April were wearing apparel, rubber and plastics products, other non-metallic mineral products and furniture. Between April, 2015 and April, 2016, the producer price index decreased by 2.9 per cent from 105.3 points to 102.3 points.

The food production sector experienced a decline of 0.7 per cent during this period with decreases in the indices for sugar by 21.9 per cent and prepared animal feeds by 8.2 per cent. Increases were recorded for dairy products by 6.7 per cent, processing and preserving of fish, crustaceans and molluscs by 0.4 per cent and other food products n.e.c. by 0.3 per cent.

For the same period, April last year to April this year, beverages increased by 9.2 per cent and this was due to increases in the indices for soft drinks: production of mineral waters and other bottled waters by 26.6 per cent and distilling, rectifying and blending of spirits by 4.0 per cent.

The non-metallic mineral products sector showed a decline of 18.3 per cent for the period. In the sub-group indices for cement, lime and plaster, a decline of 37.8 per cent was recorded and for articles of concrete, cement and plaster a decline of 2.5 per cent was recorded.

The year on year index for fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment, recorded a decline of 11.5 per cent. Declines were recorded in the indices for structural metal products by 14.1 per cent and forging, pressing, stamping and roll-forming of metal; powder metallurgy by 15.9 per cent.

An increase was recorded in the sub-group index for other fabricated metal products n.e.c. by 9.9 per cent.

Division of Economic Affairs

Pin It on Pinterest