Food prices in Greece are skyrocketing, especially fresh vegetables affected by recent snowfall. And although sellers in the markets assure buyers that the price increase is temporary, they are not particularly believed.
According to ΕΛΣΤΑΤretail sales in November recorded a significant decline, due to restrictive measures introduced to limit the spread of coronavirus.
“A meter of snow has fallen, and what should we do?, Look ….,” the farmer tells the journalist of the TV channel OPEN.
Farmers complain about snow damage caused by Cyclone Elpida, first of all, it refers to the vegetables that they managed to save, in order to then sell them to consumers. Market farmers say they have now raised prices, but promise to lower them as soon as their production returns to normal.
The increase in prices is not for long, prices will fall soon, says farmer Vassilis Kaliakudas.
The increase in prices, according to producers, affected primarily products affected by bad weather. So, broccoli is now sold up to 3 euros per kilogram, spinach up to 2 euros, leeks and carrots for 1.5 euros, and lettuce is sold up to 80 cents per 1 piece.
I was able to buy green onions for 70 cents a kilo, customer says I was lucky…
Nevertheless, prices in the markets are still somewhat lower than in supermarkets, besides, before the end of the market, you can bargain there and significantly bring down the price.
Drop in retail turnover due to security measures in connection with the coronavirus.
Coronavirus response measures have left their mark on retail, as recorded in data ELSTAT. Compared to October, November, despite the week of sales, the so-called. Black Friday and intermediate discounts showed a significant decline in sales of clothing, footwear, food and beverages, the only sectors of trade that showed growth were sales of electronic and electrical appliances and e-commerce.
We are seeing a significant decline in retail trade and this is due to restrictive measures, said Nikos Kugumtzis, vice president of the Athens Chamber of Commerce.
According to IOBE, growth is expected to be between 9% and 9.5% in 2021, which means that lost ground will be overcome in 2020, and growth of 4.5% to 5% is projected in 2022, provided that not new measures will be introduced.
It should be noted that due to the sharp rise in gas prices, in the near future we should not expect a decrease in prices for berries and vegetables grown in greenhouses. And in the warm season, it is no longer worth waiting for a decrease in prices for other food products – the reason is the increase in prices for fertilizers.
Rising gas prices led to higher food prices
The increase in gas prices has already hit the producers of mineral fertilizers, some of them significantly raised prices, and many even closed down. All this will affect food production in the near future, and some analysts even promise a big shortage of food and even starvation of our planet.
Experts draw attention to the fact that China has banned the export of phosphate fertilizers since the fall of 2021 in order to protect its own farmers from a shortage. According to experts, this will cause problems for Indian farmers who grow wheat. Moreover, mass protests of farmers have already begun in Pakistan due to a shortage of urea – a shortage of this fertilizer will significantly reduce the yields of wheat, sugarcane and corn.
The real panic in the food market was also created by the information that China, the second economy in the world after the United States, has accelerated the purchase of food in stocks during the pandemic, when there were first signs of a disruption in food supplies and rapidly rising prices in the world. As a result, China, which is home to 20% of the world’s population, managed to accumulate more than half of the world’s reserves of corn and other grains. This accelerated the rise in the cost of food in the world, notes Nikkei Asia.
Over the past five years, imports of soybeans, corn and wheat to China have increased by 2-12 times due to active purchases in the US, Brazil and other supplying countries. Imports of beef, pork, dairy products and fruits increased two to five times.
Now it is clear that China will survive this period, but what about the inhabitants of other countries?
Photo courtesy https://ru.depositphotos.com
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