0.5% GROWTH IN FOOD COMMODITY PRICES REGISTERED IN ARMENIA IN JANUARY-MARCH 2006

Noyan Tapan
Apr 05 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, NOYAN TAPAN. A 0.5 price growth was registered in the
Armenian food commodity market in March on February 2006. A 0.1-21.2%
price growth was registered in 7 out of the 13 commodity groups, a
0.2-5.6% price growth – in 4 commodity groups, and in 2 groups the
prices remained at the previous month’s level. According to the RA
National Statistical Service, a 21.2% price growth registered in the
fish product commodity group in March on February 2006 was mainly
due to the 25.2% increase in the price of fresh white fish.

In March 2006, the price of granulated sugar continued to show
the upward tendency registered as far back as January, and the
overall price growth for these three months made 17.2%. The price of
granulated sugar rose by 7.2% in March on February 2006. A 0.5% price
growth was registered in the meat product commodity group in March
on February, mainly as a result of a growth in the prices of mutton
(2.3%) and beef (1.4%). A 0.1-0.4% price growth was registered in the
commodity groups of milk products, confectionery , bread products and
other foodstuffs in March on February, while the prices of coffee,
tea, cocoa and nonalcoholic drinks remained at the previous month’s
level. The average price of eggs fell by 13.6% in February-March 2006,
with the price fall making 5.6% in March on February. The fall in
the prices of potato and vegetables made 1.9% in Armenia in March
on February 2006, which is by 5.9% lower than the respective index
for the same period of last year. During the indicated period, a
price fall was registered in the commodity groups of cabbage (13.1%),
cucumber (7.5%), leek (7.1%), onion (4.6%) and potato (0.4%). At the
same time, the prices of tomato, green pepper, garlic, carrot and
beet grew by 2.8-12.4% in Armenia. A 3.9% price fall was registered
in the fruit commodity group in February-March 2006, with the price
fall in March on February making 0.8%, which was mainly conditionrd
by a fall in the prices of grapes (0.8%), apple (2.85), pear (0.8%),
as well as a number of fruits imported into Armenia: orange (2.8%),
lemon (2.8%) and banana (2.5%). There was a 0.2% price fall in the
commodity group of butter and vegetable oil in March on February 2006,
while the prices of alcoholic drinks and cigarettes reamined unchanged
compared with the previos month.