KUALA LUMPUR (May 29): The Producer Price Index (PPI) for local production fell 5.1% year-on-year (y-o-y) in April 2020  to 99.9, from 105.3 previously, dragged mainly by the mining index.

In a statement, Chief Statistician Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said out of 1,063 items covered in PPI, 42.4% of them recorded price increases in April 2020 compared with April 2019.

"On the contrary, 49.8% items showed a decline while 7.8% items were unchanged," he added.

Mohd Uzir said the mining index registered the highest rate of decline at 58.3%, followed by water supply, which declined at 1%.

In contrast, the index of agriculture, forestry and fishing increased by 8.7%, followed by electricity and gas supply up 0.2% while manufacturing inched up 0.1%.

On a monthly basis, the PPI for local production slipped 2.7% in April 2020, due to decreases in all sectors.

The drop was led by the decrease in the index of mining (-30.6%), followed by agriculture, forestry and fishing (-3.2%), manufacturing (-0.7%), water supply (-0.6%) and electricity and gas supply (-0.3%).

In April 2020, the PPI for local production by stage of processing showed a sharp decline in crude materials for further processing (-28.9%), mainly due to the price decrease in petroleum products. Meanwhile, intermediate materials, supplies & components inched up 0.4% and finished goods registered an increase of 1.1%.