Fruits and vegetables once again led the increases in prices during last March, since The abundant rains produced an abrupt decrease in the supply of some productswhich ended up becoming more expensive on the shelves for consumers.
According to the monthly report of the Consumer Price Information System prepared by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF)oranges and lettuces led the list of products with the greatest increases, while tomatoes and apples experienced the greatest reductions.
In addition to causing serious flooding in several areas of the country, the incessant rains last month skyrocketed the prices per kilo of navel orange 23.44% and that of the Valencia orange up to 22.08%.
The Navel orange registered an average market price of 91.67 pesos per kilo, when in February it was 74.26 pesos. For its part, the Valencia orange went from 80.60 pesos in February to 98.40 pesos in March. However, both the Navel and the Valencia are available at very different prices, depending on the establishment, ranging from 49 pesos to 108 pesos, and from 56 pesos to 120 pesos, respectively.
Likewise, the unit of butter lettuce recorded an increase of 6.61% and that of crisp lettuce 5.32%; yielding average market prices of 57.26 pesos (from 53.71 pesos) and 60.77 pesos (from 57.70 pesos), respectively. Butter lettuce was found from 33 pesos to 90 pesos, and crepe lettuce from 33 pesos to 89 pesos.
The commercial information manager of the Metropolitan Agri-Food Unit (UAM), Diego Romeroassured the press that in the next 30 days there will be a “very good availability of lettuce”, something that will continue to pressure its price downwards.
The price of tomatoes fell more than 16% in March
At the other extreme, the American tomato led the list of products with the biggest discounts after falling 16.54% in March and going from an average market price of 147.03 pesos to 123.46 pesos. In commercial establishments, its price was established between a minimum of 75.9 pesos and a maximum of 186 pesos.
In that sense, the average price of the Red Delicious apple It fell 7.44% and went from 164.25 pesos to 152.03 pesos, with a minimum of 105 pesos and a maximum of 217 pesos.
Source: Ambito
