The Producer Price Index (Manufacturing) for March 2015 stood at 106.2 points, representing an increase of 0.1 per cent when compared with the 106.1 points recorded the previous month.

Increases were recorded for Other Manufacturing by 1.3 per cent; Beverages by 0.7 per cent; Petroleum and Chemical Products by 0.3 per cent; and Food Products by 0.1 per cent.

A decline was registered for Fabricated Metal Products, except Machinery and Equipment, by 0.7 per cent.??

Wearing Apparel, Printing and Reproduction of Recorded Media, Rubber and Plastic Products, Other Non-Metallic Mineral Products and Furniture remained constant over the period.

Between March 2014 and March 2015, the Producer Price Index declined by 1.2 per cent, from 107.5 points to 106.2 points.??The Food Production Sector experienced a decline of 0.2 per cent between March 2014 and March 2015.

Decreases in Prepared Animal Feeds of 5.6 per cent and Sugar by 2.7 per cent contributed to the decline. However, increases were recorded during the period for the processing and preserving of fish, crustaceans and molluscs by 11.3 per cent, and the processing and preserving of meat by 1.1 per cent.

Beverages decreased by 4.8 per cent during March 2014 to March 2015 due to a decline in distilling, rectifying and blending of spirits of 8.9 per cent.??The Other Non-Metallic Mineral Products Sector showed a decrease of 0.3 per cent between March 2014 and March 2015, and a decrease of 0.6 per cent in Articles of concrete, cement and plaster was recorded during that period.

The year-on-year index for Fabricated Metal Products, except the Machinery and Equipment Sector, for March 2015 was unchanged. However, there was an increase in other fabricated metal products not elsewhere classified by 10.0 per cent. A decrease was recorded in forging, pressing, stamping and roll-forming of metal, as well as powder metallurgy, by 2.7 per cent.

Author: Economic Affairs Division/BGIS

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