Wholesale Prices Up 0.7% In September

Monthly factory gate prices increased by 0.9% in September 2008, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office in Ireland.

This compares to a decrease of 1.1% recorded for September 2007.

As a result, the annual percentage change showed an increase of 0.7% in September 2008, compared with a decrease of 1.3% in August 2008.

In the month, the price index for export sales increased by 1.5% while the index for home sales decreased by 0.7%.

In the year there was a decrease in the price index for export sales of 0.4% and an increase of 5.4% in respect of the price index for home sales.

In the month the most significant changes were increases in Basic chemicals (up 1.9%), Office machinery and computers (up 1.5%), and Pharmaceuticals and other chemical products (incl. man-made fibres) (up 2.0%).

Contributing to the annual change were decreases in Office machinery and computers (which decreased by 11.1%), and Dairy products (which fell by 6.0%), while there were increases in other food products including bread and confectionery (up8.7%), and Meat and meat products (+9.6%).