Which Food Products Increased in Price in December

The "Fact" newspaper reports that it is no secret that the last ten days of December is an active shopping period due to the holiday season. In this regard, compared to the same period in 2018, citizens bought certain food products at higher prices in December 2019.

Moreover, prices for some food products in December 2019 have increased compared to November 2019 as well. Data published by the Statistical Committee confirms this, presenting both inflation and deflation indicators.

According to the Statistical Committee's data, in December 2019, compared to November, the republic saw a 3.0% increase in the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, although there was a 0.3% deflation compared to the same time last year.

Like in previous months, December 2019 exhibited higher inflation in the fruit and vegetable market compared to November of the same year, recording respective increases of 4.9% and 19.9%. For instance, in December 2019, the price of tangerines rose by 14.6% compared to December 2018, while the price of king mandarins increased by 2.2%.

Interestingly, despite claims of monopolization being eliminated, the price of bananas has risen by 9.2% during the same period. It is worth noting that external factors might also play a role in this regard.

Meanwhile, the price of lemons has increased by 27.8% compared to the previous year, while oranges rose by 12.7%. Although pears, apples, pomegranates, and grapes have decreased in price compared to December 2018, there was still inflation recorded in these products when comparing December 2019 to November 2019. Pears increased by 13.6%, apples by 10.3%, pomegranates by 17.2%, and grapes by 13.2%.

In December 2019, compared to December 2018, the vegetable group recorded a 5.9% price increase. The highest price increases were noted for mixed greens and onions, with price increases of 44.2% and 58.2%, respectively, compared to December 2018. The price of tomatoes rose by 11%, while cucumbers decreased by 2.3%. In the potato market, only a 0.1% inflation was recorded during this period, which cannot be said about head onions, which increased by 6.6%.

Overall, in December 2019, compared to November, vegetable prices surged by 15.4-28.9%. In the dairy products, cheese, and egg group, a 2% deflation was recorded in December 2019 compared to December 2018, while a 0.5% inflation was observed compared to November 2019. The price of eggs decreased by 4% in December 2019 compared to December 2018, but recorded a 1.1% increase compared to November 2019.

According to the Statistical Committee's data, in 10 cities of the republic, there was a price increase of 0.3-1.6% in the dairy products, cheese, and egg group in December 2019 compared to November.

In the bakery and flour group, a price increase of 3.9% was recorded in December 2019 compared to December 2018. The upward trend in prices for this group continued, rising by 0.4% compared to November 2019.

In December 2019, compared to December 2018, a deflation of 12.4% was recorded in the sugar and confectionery group, as well as a deflation of 5.6% compared to November 2019. Deflations were also noted in the fish and seafood group, with a 4.7% decrease compared to December 2018 and a 0.3% decrease compared to November 2019.

In the meat products group, deflation continued, with a 3.4% decrease in December 2019 compared to December 2018 and a 0.1% decrease compared to November 2019.

Regarding the gasoline and diesel fuel market, this group saw increases of 2.1% and 1.8%, respectively, in December 2019 compared to November. However, in December 2019 compared to December 2018, prices for gasoline and diesel decreased by 5.6% and 5.4%, respectively.

It is also important to note that many experts are already raising concerns that due to upcoming new customs tariffs, several goods imported from third countries are likely to increase in price, including various widely consumed food products.