Farm gate prices increase 6.9% yr/yr in Januar-July

Farm gate prices in Hungary rose 6.9% year-on-year in January-July, with crop prices increasing 12.2% and livestock and animal product prices up 1.8%, the Central Statistics Office (KSH) reported on Thursday. In July alone, farm gate prices rose 10.5% year-on-year, with crop prices rising 14.5% and livestock and animal product prices up 6.6%. Average farm gate prices of cereals rose 12.5% year-on-year in January-July, 2006, albeit from a low base. Prices of vegetables increased 16.9% and prices of fruit rose 8.7%. Farm gate prices of live animals increased 2.2%, slowing from a 6.2% year-on-year increase in January-July 2005. The price of live cattle and hogs rose 17% and 3.3%, respectively, while prices of poultry fell 3.4%. Prices of animal products rose 1.1%, with the farm gate price of milk falling 2.1% and egg prices rising 8.7%. From January 2006, KSH has reported farm producer prices and input prices quarterly, as opposed to monthly reports earlier. In 2005, farm gate prices rose 0.7%, with crop prices falling 0.6% and livestock and animal product prices increasing 1.8%. (Mti-Eco)