China's industrial producer prices increased by 1.9 percent in April over the same period of 2005, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in Beijing Thursday.

Prices paid by producers for raw materials, fuel and electricity rose by 4.9 percent in the same period. Industrial producer prices for production means rose 2.6 percent in April compared with the same period last year.

Factory prices for mining products surged by 12.1 percent. That of raw materials inched up 5.4 percent. Processed products slid by 0.1 percent.

Producer prices for consumer products, however, slid by 0.4 percent over the same period of last year. Prices for food and durable consumer products declined by 0.9 percent and 2 percent, respectively.

Manufacturer's prices for crude oil rocketed by 19.3 percent over the same month last year, driving up industrial prices by 0.6 percentage points.

Prices for coal mining and dressing went up 5.4 percent. Prices for raw coal was up 5.3 percent.

Prices for refined, rolled and flattened ferrous metals declined by 9.2 percent, compared to a 16.6 percent increase in prices for refined, rolled and flattened non-ferrous metals.

The industrial producer prices in the first four months were up 2.6 percent over the same period of last year, with manufacturer's prices for raw materials, fuel and electricity up 6.1 percent.

(Xinhua News Agency May 11, 2006)