The producer price index (PPI) for Jamaica’s mining and quarrying and manufacturing industries increased marginally during the month of February.
The PPI for the mining and quarrying sector went up by 0.4 per cent while the manufacturing inched up 0.1 per cent. This PPI increase was primarily driven by a corresponding 0.4 per cent increase in the index for the major group ‘Bauxite Mining & Alumina Processing’.
Additionally, the PPI for the major group ‘Other Mining & Quarrying’ rose by 0.1 per cent. The 0.1 per cent increase in the index for the manufacturing industry was attributed to upward movements in the index for the major groups ‘Food, Beverages & Tobacco’ (0.2 per cent), ‘Wood, Wood Products & Furniture’ (2.2 per cent) and ‘Other Non-Metallic Mineral Products’ (1.8 per cent).
Decline in refined petroleum products
However, the overall increase in the industry was offset by a decline of 0.7 per cent in the index for the major group ‘Refined Petroleum Products’. For the period February 2024 – February 2025, the point-to-point index for the mining and quarrying industry rose by 59.7 per cent.
This was due to an increase of 61.6 per cent in the index for the major group ‘Bauxite Mining & Alumina Processing’. The point-to-point index for the manufacturing industry increased by 0.6 per cent. Contributing to this upward movement was a 3.1 per cent increase in the index for the major group ‘Food, Beverages & Tobacco’.
However, the industry’s overall increase was tempered by an 8.4 per cent per cent decline in the index for the major group ‘Refined Petroleum Products’.
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