site.btaWholesale Prices of Basic Foods, Fruits, and Vegetables Rise in Late March

An increase in the prices of key food items, fruits, and vegetables was observed on Bulgaria’s wholesale markets over the past week, according to the weekly bulletin published by the State Commission for Commodity Exchanges and Wholesale Markets on Sunday.

The wholesale food price index, which tracks price movements of major food commodities in Bulgaria, advanced by 1.1% in the last week of March, reaching 2.392 points compared to 2.366 points a week earlier. The base index of 1 point was set in 2005.

In the dairy category, yogurt (with 3% or more fat) increased by 7.9% to BGN 1.40 for a 400-gram cup, while fresh milk (3% fat) rose by 0.8% to BGN 2.40 per litre. Kashkaval cheese (Vitosha type) went up by 0.3% to BGN 18.24 per kg, whereas white brined cheese from cow’s milk decreased by 0.8% to BGN 11.32 per kg. Poultry increased by 1.6% to BGN 6.58 per kg. Eggs (size M) jumped by 6.5% to BGN 0.36 each. Flour (type 500) edged up 0.7% to BGN 1.45 per kg. Sunflower oil became 1.8% more expensive at BGN 3.24 per litre, and butter (125 g pack) rose by 1.7% to BGN 3.14 per pack.

In staple goods, lentils increased by 0.7% to BGN 4.50 per kg, rice went up by 3.4% to BGN 3.34 per kg, and mature beans by 1.1% to BGN 4.35 per kg. Sugar was the only item to decrease in price in this group, dropping by 3.8% to BGN 1.80 per kg.

In the vegetable section, cucumbers were the only product to decrease in price, falling by 10.2% to BGN 2.98 per kg. Onions saw the largest increase, rising by 14.3% to BGN 1.26 per kg, followed by cabbage, which went up by 11.5% to BGN 1.42 per kg. Tomatoes increased by 5.4% to BGN 3.33 per kg, while potatoes rose by 3.9% to BGN 1.38 per kg, and carrots by 2.6% to BGN 1.25 per kg. Lettuce edged up 0.2% to BGN 0.94 per head, while garlic increased by 4.2% to BGN 7.00 per kg.

In the fruit category, oranges rose by 5.1% to BGN 2.32 per kg, tangerines by 3.5% to BGN 2.67 per kg, and grapefruits also by 3.5% to BGN 2.69 per kg. Bananas increased by 3.4% to BGN 2.84 per kg, lemons by 4.9% to BGN 2.68 per kg, and apples by 6.5% to BGN 1.96 per kg.