YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. 3.3% rise in food prices was registered in Armenia in November on October 2007, which was mainly due to 0.2-17.7% price growth in 11 out of the 13 commodity groups observed. According to the RA National Statistical Service, 21.8% inflation was registered in the fruit commodity group in November 2007 on November 2006 and 17.7% in November on October 2007, which was mainly due to a rise in prices of peach (24.6%), strawberry (20.5%), grapes (17.8%), watermelon (3.2fold) and melon (1.7fold). Prices of banana, orange and apple grew by 3-9.7% in the indicated period. 5.4% price fall was registered in the commodity group of potato and vegetables in November 2007 on November 2006, and 12.8% price growth in November on October 2007, which was mainly conditioned by a growth in prices of tomato (2.3fold), cucumber (1.7fold), green pepper (53.3%), eggplant (47.2%), green bean (39.4%). Prices of onion, potato, garlic and cauliflower grew by 3.1-12.2% in the indicated period. 2.7% inflation was registered in the commodity group of bread products in November on October 2007, mainly due to a 5.1% rise in flour price. Bread price grew by 1.3% in the indicated period. 4.1% inflation was registered in the commodity group of butter and vegetable oil in November on October 2007, mainly as a result of 9.5% growth in price of margarine and 6.5% growth in price of vegetable oil. Butter price grew by 3.3% in the indicated period. The 11% overall fall in price of vegetable oil (sunflower oil) in Armenia in January 2006 - July 2007 was followed by a 71.7% overall inflation in August-November 2007. The minimum average monthly price of 1 liter of vegetable oil made 478 drams (in the city of Vagharshapat) in July 2007, while the maximum average price made 1,000 drams in November (the city of Talin). The ratio of the maximum average price of vegetable oil registered on November 20, 2007 to the minimum average price in July made 209.2%. The 5.4% overall fall in butter price in February 2006 - April 2007 was followed by a 47.2% overall price growth in May-November 2007. The minimum monthly price of 1 kg of butter made 1,400 drams in April 2007 (the city of Martuni), while the maximum average monthly price - 2,433 drams (Yerevan). The ratio of the maximum average price of butter on November 20, 2007 to the minimum average montly price registered in April made 173.1%. 0.6% inflation registered in the commodity group of meat products in November on October 2007 was mainly conditioned by a growth in prices of chicken leg (1.4%), ham (2.3%), sausage (3.6-10.8%). Prices of beef and pork fell by 1% in the indicated period, while mutton price remained the same. The average price of egg grew by 0.6% in November on October 2007. 0.2-1.8% growth in prices of confectionery, milk products, soft drinks and other foodstuffs was registered in Armenia, while price of granulted sugar fell by 7.4% in November on October 2007. The average settlement exchange rate of the Armenian dram against the US dollar made 317.59 drams in November 2007, which is by 15.6% less than the index of November 2006 (376.16 drams).

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