Big Increase In The Price Of Inputs

Output prices in manufacturing increased by 4.8% in the year to January 2011 compared with 4.1% last month. Month on month the output price index rose by 1%. Petrol, food and chemicals were the main items responsible for the increase. Input prices increased by 13.4% over the year to January, the highest increase since 2008, compared with 12.9% last month, excluding the more volatile products the increase was 9.9%. Month on month the total input price index increased by 1.7%.