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| Source: CSO
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The CSO reported today that monthly factory gate prices increased by 0.2%in February 2008. This compares to a decrease of 0.6% recorded for February 2007. As a result, the annual percentage change showed a decrease of 3.0% in February 2008, compared with a decrease of 3.8% in January 2008.
In the month, the price index for export sales increased by 0.2% while the index for home sales increased by 0.6%. In the year there was a decrease in the price index for export sales of 4.8% and an increase of 4.6% in respect of the priceindex for home sales.
In the month the most significant changes were decreases in Office machinery and computers (-3.1%), while there were increases in Meat and meat products (+4.9%), Other food products (+1.0%), and Medical, precision and optical instruments, watches and clocks (+2.3%).
Contributing to the annual change were decreases in Office machinery and computers (-13.9%), and Basic chemicals (-4.3%), while there was an increase in Dairy products (+11.0%).
The yearly price index for Mining and quarrying decreased by 8.8% while there was a monthly increase of 1.9%.
A further analysis of Wholesale price changes by sector of use shows that:
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Building and Construction All material prices increased by 4.2% in the year since February 2007. The most notable yearly changes were increases in Bituminous emulsions (+24.9%), and Stone, sand and gravel (+13.1%). Building and Construction All material prices increased by 1.0% in February 2008.
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Year on year, the price of Capital Goods increased by 3.7%, while there was a monthly price increase of 0.4%.
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The price of Energy products increased by 2.0% in the year since February 2007, while Petroleum fuels increased by 25.4%. In February 2008, there was a monthly decrease in Energy products of 0.9%, while Petroleum fuels decreased by 3.1%.
