By Areena FxThe MAU tracks market prices in the southern Sagaing Region. Data are collected from three vendors per product per market at the end of each month. The data include prices from Monywa (main market), Myaung (Na Bet), Shwebo (main market), Ye-U (Tin Tein Yan), and Yinmarbin (Yin Paung Taing). Data and product specs are available at www.themimu.info/market-analysis-unit.
KEY FINDINGS
Rice prices were stable in November, although essential food prices fluctuated in some markets;
Garlic and long bean prices rose 9-50% in November, but onion and eggplant prices fell 11-40%;
Meat and fish prices fluctuated, but the magnitude of the price changes was fairly small;
Prices for hygiene products were mostly stable, al-though rising soap prices erased October’s price cuts;
NFI prices declined slightly in November, although price trends varied somewhat by township;
Ye-U saw some price relief in November after two months of rising prices;
Yinmarbin saw the most notable price hikes with one-quarter of all products monitored rising 13% or more in November.
Product-Level Price Changes
Essential Foods – Rice prices were stable in November, although essential food prices fuctuated in some markets. Cooking oil prices were stable or falling, with prices down 15-19% in two markets. Rice prices were quite stable and rarely moved more than 2-3%. Prices for pulses fuctuated with no clear trend.
Vegetables – Prices for some vegetables rose in November while prices for others fell. Garlic and long bean prices rose 9-50% in November, while onion and eggplant prices fell 11-40%. Prices for watercress and green chili shifted up or down by 8-25%.
Meat and Fish – Meat and fsh prices rose and fell in November, but the magnitude of the price changes was small. Prices for fresh fsh and fsh paste rose 5-33% in November, while prices for chicken, shrimp, and dried fsh fluctuated slightly but rarely more than 4-9%.
Hygiene Products – Soap prices rose in November, but prices for other hygiene products were relatively stable. Soap prices increased 6-38% in November, but there were few other prices hikes for hygiene products. Prices for detergent, toothpaste, and sanitary pads fell 6-7% in Yinmarbin, but prices elsewhere were otherwise stable.
Other NFIs – NFI prices declined slightly in November, although price trends varied somewhat by township. NFI prices were stable in Myaung, notwithstanding increases of 27-30% for blankets and mosquito nets. Monywa, Ye-U, and Yinmarbin all saw numerous price reductions of 3-12%. There were only a handful of rising prices for NFIs, such as prices for plastic tarps which rose 9-11% in Monywa and Ye-U.