Farm gate prices up 17.0% in February

Farm gate prices in Hungary rose 17.0% in the twelve months to February, slowing down from 18.1% in January, the Central Statistics Office (KSH) said on Friday. The rise of crop prices slowed slightly, to 22.9% year-on-year (yr/yr) from 24.2% in January. The price of live animals and animal products also increased less, by 6.5% yr/yr after rising 7.4% in January. Grain prices were up 30.3% in February from a year earlier. The price of wheat and maize are level with December 2012, with the price of wheat at HUF 67,800 per ton and the price of maize at HUF 63,200 per ton. Prices of industrial crops rose 21.0% yr/yr including a 20.7% rise in the price of oil seeds. The price of sunflower seeds has reached a record height, at just under HUF 140,000 per ton, up 23.2%. Potato prices increased further, at 108.1%. Prices of fresh vegetables and fruit rose 3.4% and fell 4.4%, respectively. Cattle prices were up 10.0% and poultry prices increased 12.9% Hog prices rose 4.6% from a year earlier. The price of milk rose 2.3%, but the price of fresh eggs fell 1.6% from a year earlier. In January-February 2013, farm gate prices rose 17.8% from a year earlier.