site.btaWholesale Prices of Most Fruits and Vegetables Continue to Decline

The market index for wholesale food prices in Bulgaria edged down by 0.09% to 2.313 points this week, the State Commission for Commodity Exchanges and Wholesale Markets reported on Sunday. A week earlier, the index stood at 2.315 points. The base level of 1 point was set in 2005.

In the vegetables category, potatoes were the only product to become more expensive, rising by 5.15% to BGN 0.98 per kilogram. The sharpest decline was recorded for cabbage, down by 14.19% to BGN 0.81/kg. Prices also fell for carrots, down by 8.18% to BGN 1.01/kg, onions, down by 7.84% to BGN 0.94/kg, cucumbers, down by 6.17% to BGN 3.04/kg, and tomatoes, down by 5.26% to BGN 2.45/kg. Zucchini became cheaper by 3.15% to BGN 2.34/kg, followed by red peppers, down by 2.08% to BGN 2.17/kg, and green peppers, down by 0.1% to BGN 1.98/kg.

Fruit prices also declined. The most notable decrease was for oranges, down by 12.04% to BGN 2.44/kg, and apples, down by 10.35% to BGN 2.27/kg. Lemons became significantly cheaper as well, falling by 9.37% to BGN 3.25/kg. Prices also dropped for grapes, down by 3.94% to BGN 3.12/kg, and bananas, down by 0.59% to BGN 2.70/kg.

The price of white brined cheese from cow’s milk fell by 0.25% to BGN 11.97/kg, while Vitosha-type yellow kashkaval cheese increased by 0.62% to BGN 18.13/kg. Yoghurt (with a fat content of 3% and over) decreased by 0.44% to BGN 1.37 per 400-gram cup, whereas fresh milk rose by 0.85% to BGN 2.36 per litre. Cow’s milk butter (125-gram pack) became slightly cheaper, down by 0.45% to BGN 3.13 per piece.

Frozen poultry fell in price by 2.79% to BGN 6.77/kg, while eggs (size M) increased by 3.54% and were selling at BGN 0.41 per piece wholesale.

Rice prices declined by 1.57% to BGN 3.38/kg, while flour (type 500) became more expensive, rising by 7.42% to BGN 1.65/kg. Sunflower oil was cheaper this week, selling for BGN 3.26 per litre, a decrease of 1.51%. Sugar rose by 1.06% to BGN 1.90/kg. Mature beans and lentils both fell in price, down by 0.57% to BGN 4.20/kg and by 3.64% to BGN 4.02/kg respectively.