Introduction
The last quarter has been a turbulent one in most markets due to adverse weather conditions, particularly in the US. Pork prices hit a high in December of 13.4% after a period of relative lows from July to October. Beef has seen a steady decline since a peak in May finishing at a low of 6.8% representing an overall drop of 3.8% from December 2011. Dairy prices have moved back up after plummeting in August and finish the year at 0.9% whilst Fish and Cereal prices have fluctuated significantly, finishing on 4.5% and 2.9% respectively. Overall, however, the total RPI has remained fairly constant ending the year on 3.1% and maintaining a year average of 3.6%.