Objective of the Index:

To measure the average variations in monthly national prices of the most commonly used products in agricultural activities, including fertilizers (both simple and compound), pesticides (including herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides), and other inputs such as adjuvants, physiological regulators, and molluscicides. The index also covers animal feed in the aquaculture, poultry, pork, and cattle farming subsectors, considering different production stages, in comparison to a reference period.

Utility (Description):

The index summarizes the price behavior of a diverse set of agricultural inputs, providing reference information for various stakeholders in the sector to conduct effective analyses and support decision-making.

It is a weighted average of prices collected by the SIPSA (DANE) at retail points in municipalities covered by this system. The Laspeyres formula is used for calculation, where the relative weight of each input's price is determined by its share in sales monitored by the Monitoring Unit of the Agricultural Chains Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Information for the Indicator:

Prices paid in cash by the producer for each unit of input, monitored by the Agricultural Sector Price and Supply Information System (SIPSA) of the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) at retail points in municipalities covered by this system. Annual sales values, by function and composition or active ingredient, monitored by the Agricultural Inputs Information Reporting System (SIRIIAGRO) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, are used as a weight. Municipal agricultural production share in the national production, based on Municipal Agricultural Assessments (EVA) by the Agricultural Planning Unit (UPRA), is also considered.

Methodology:

The indices are weighted averages of prices, applying the Laspeyres formula, where the relative weight of each input is determined by its share in sales and national agricultural production.

Input Basket:

The agricultural input price index includes 189 products: 66 fertilizers, 112 pesticides, and 11 other inputs, including adjuvants, physiological regulators, and molluscicides. The animal feed price index includes 193 products used in the aquaculture, poultry, pork, and cattle farming subsectors. These products are selected based on their market relevance according to annual consolidated sales values and availability in retail markets, thus requiring periodic updates.

Other Elements of the Index:

Frequency: Monthly, based on consolidated data, figure reviews, and SIPSA bulletin dissemination.

Geographical Coverage: The figures synthesize price behavior at the national level.

Reference Period/Base Line: Values are referenced to January 2021, set at 100.

Available Series: 2019-2023