site.btaConsumer Basket Price Dropped by BGN 1 to BGN 100 in Past Week

The consumer basket decreased by BGN 1 in the past week, returning to BGN 100. No clear trend of either decline or increase has been observed, State Commission on Commodity Exchanges and Wholesale Markets chief Vladimir Ivanov told a news conference.

He described this weekly drop in wholesale prices as uncharacteristic for the autumn-winter season, suggesting that the warm weather may be a possible explanation for the variation in value.

In the fruits and vegetables category, wholesale prices decreased for tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, cabbage, carrots, zucchini, lemons, bananas, oranges, grapes, and apples. An increase was observed for potatoes and peppers.

Among basic food products, prices have risen for flour, yellow cheese, fresh milk, butter, and eggs. Products that decreased in wholesale price include white cheese, yogurt, cooking oil, pork, chicken, rice, beans, and sugar.

“I want to stress that there is no established trend either toward a decrease or an increase. Rather, we are witnessing market variations, mainly driven by seasonal factors and especially by the fact that the weather is unusually warm for this time of year,” Ivanov noted.

“The variations are small and insignificant. No unusual influences on the market are being observed, apart from seasonal factors and the specifics of autumn logistics,” concluded Vladimir Ivanov. He also noted that speculations about an increase in the consumer basket due to Bulgaria’s upcoming membership in the eurozone have not been confirmed.

The trend from last week of a normally functioning market continues. For this period, no phenomena outside normal market interactions have been observed,” Ivanov said.