KUALA LUMPUR: The consumer price index (CPI) for December 2009 rose  0.2% from November, mainly due to increases in the index for food & non-alcoholic beverages, but it is interesting to note the huge jump in prices of big onions, tomatoes and long beans.

The Statistics Department said on Wednesday, Jan 20 the index for food & non-alcoholic beverages increased by 0.5% while the index for non-food remain unchanged at 108.8.

The 0.5% increase in the index for food & non-alcoholic beverages in December 2009 compared with November was due to increases in the index for food at home (+0.7%); food away from home (+0.2%) as well as coffee, tea, cocoa & non-alcoholic beverages (+0.1%).

Among the food items which recorded notable increases in the index in December 2009 compared with November were onions, big (+25.2%); tomatoes (+22.8%); long beans (+12.2%); hen’s egg (+5.4%); spinach (+4.9%); round scad (Fish) (+4.2%); Indian mackerel (fish) (+4.1%); selar scad (fish) (+3.4%); cuttlefish (+3.0%); Threadfin Bream (Fish) (+3.0%) and water spinach (+2.0%).

The CPI for December 2009 rose 1.1% on-year from 111.8 to 113.0, mainly due to food & non-alcoholic beverages and non-food. Ihe index for food & non-alcoholic beverages and non-food for December 2009 rose 1.1% from a year ago.

For January to December 2009, the inflation rate increased by 0.6% to 112.1 from 111.4 in the previous corresponding period. The index for food & non-alcoholic beverages increased by 4.1% but non-food decreased by 1.1%.