FOOD COMMODITY PRICES GROW BY 5% IN ARMENIA IN JANUARY

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Prices of food commodities grew by
5% in Armenia in January 2007, which is by 0.1% lower than the index
of the same period of last year (5.1%).

According to the RA National Statsitical Service, a 0.1-29.5% price
growth was registered in 8 out of the 13 food commodity groups
observed. A 28.9% price growth was registered in the commodity group
of vegetables and potato in January 2007 on January 2006, mainly as a
result of a growth in the prices of garlic (30.5%), carrot (33.2%),
beet (36%), tomato (40.9%) and potato (60.6%).

A 29.5% price growth was registered in the commodity group of
vegetables and potato in January 2007 on December 2006, which is by
9.1% lower than the respective index of the same period of last year
(38.6%).

There was a growth in the prices of potato (10.8%), cabbage (11.6%),
beet (18.9%), carrot (20.4%), onion (23.7%), tomato (1.7fold),
cucumber (1.8fold) anf green pepper (2.1fold) in January 2007 compared
with the previous month.

There was a 29.1% growth in fruit prices in Armenia in January 2007 on
January 2006, and a 17.5% price growth on December 2006. In the
indicated period, prices of lemon, tangerine, pomegranate, pear,
apple, banana and pine-apple increased by 4.1-26.9%.

A 16.2% price growth was registered in the commodity group of fish
products in January 2007 on December 2006, mainly due to the 19.3%
growth in the price of fresh white fish. There was a 0.7% price
growth in the commodity group of meat products in January 2007 on
December 2006, mainly as a result of the growth in the prices of pork
(1%) and beef (1.6%).

A 0.1-0.9% price growth was registered in the commodity groups of
confectionery, soft drinks, coffee, tea, cocoa and milk products in
January 2007 on December 2006. The price of granulated sugar fell by
1.7% in the indicated period, while prices of bread products, eggs,
butter and vegetable oil remained at the previous month’s level.