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Highlights
The national average prices of food items are showing minor fluctuations during the second week of August 2024, with no significant increase or decrease in prices of main food items compared to last week. However, the price levels show a declining trend, indicating a significant decline compared to the same period last year (except the price of salt, tomato and onion which has increased by 7%, 8% and 16%, respectively). The declining trend is mainly driven by the appreciation of Afghani currency, followed by a relative stability in Afghani exchange rate against the USD and other foreign currencies, a marginal decline in global food prices and deflation in the country. Prices of vegetable items such as Tomatoes, Potatoes, and Onions are experiencing significant fluctuations compared to last week and last year. These changes are driven by variations in market supply, influenced by factors such as seasonal harvest cycles, weather conditions, and transportation disruptions.
The rest of the vegetable items also experience similar price trends, with highest prices during the winter season and lowest prices during harvest seasons. There has been slight fluctuations in the prices of non-food commodities compared to the previous week. With a 3.5% decrease in the casual labour, the Terms of Trade (ToT) for nominal casual labour/wheat has also deteriorated accordingly. With a marginal reduction in the global price trend and decreased domestic demand, the price for these commodities show a significant decline compared to last year. Meanwhile, compared to the month of June 2021 (before the political changes), the prices of fertilizers (DAP and Urea) and diesel remain significantly high.