Attachments
The MAU tracks market prices in Southeast Myanmar. Data are collected from three vendors per product per market in the last week of each month. The data include prices from Demoso (village), Hpapun (Kamamaung), Hsihseng (main), Kawkareik (main), Loikaw (main), Pekon (main), and Taungoo (Nat Htet). Data are available online at www.themimu.info/market-analysis-unit.
KEY FINDINGS
- Rice prices rose 7% in May and pulses were up 6%, although cooking oil prices were fairly stable;
- Vegetable prices were unusually stable in May, and eggplant prices pulled back from April's relatively large price increases;
- Meat/fish price trends varied by market in May, although prices for fish paste were 6% higher and prices for fish paste were 19% lower;
- Prices for hygiene products varied by market May, and they rose sharply in Hpapun;
- Food and NFI prices were 20-90% above last year, although prices for hygiene products were just 5-10% above last year;
- Near-term prices increases are more likely than not for items like mosquito nets, essential foods, and various hygiene products.
Product-Level Price Changes
Essential Foods – Essential food prices rose in May, and the sharpest increases were in Taungoo. Rice prices rose 7% or more in various markets in May, and prices for pulses were 6% higher. Cooking oil prices were stable except in Taungoo. Essential food prices were sometimes stable but rarely falling.
Vegetables – Vegetable prices were unusually stable in May, and some vegetable prices fell. Prices for onion and eggplant fell 25% and 10%, respectively. Other vegetable prices were generally stable, although there were isolated instances of prices rising or falling.
Meat and Fish – Meat and fish prices varied by market in May. Fish paste prices rose 6% in May, while dried fish prices fell 19%. Prices for shrimp, fresh fish, chicken, and pork rose and fell in different markets but were overall mostly stable. Meat and fish prices were generally stable in Pekon, rising in Taungoo, and falling in Pinlaung.
Hygiene Products – Prices for hygiene products varied considerably by market. Prices for hygiene products climbed sharply in Hpapun where some produces were out of stock. Prices for hygiene products fluctuated in Taungoo while remaining quite stable in three other markets.
Other NFIs – NFI prices also varied considerably by market, with falling prices in Taungoo but a mixed picture elsewhere. Prices for charcoal, umbrellas, and plastic tarps fell a modest 4-12% in May. Prices for cooking pots and jerry cans rose 12% or more across markets. Pekon and Pinlaung saw a second month of stable NFI prices, while Taungoo saw lower prices for a number of NFIs in May.