Why the Price of Ginger Has Increased: The Anti-Monopoly Commission Presents Current Study Findings

The Armenian State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition has studied the price trend of ginger in supermarkets.

According to the information provided by the Commission, it was found that in the "Nor Zovq" supermarket chain, the price for 1 kg of ginger was 3,790 AMD up to March 25. From March 26 to 29, this product was unavailable, and from March 30 to 31, the price reached 15,000 AMD. In the "Carrefour" supermarket, the price before March 26 was 4,590 AMD for 1 kg. Subsequently, the product was unavailable until March 29, and from March 30 to 31, the price was already 16,990 AMD.

The study also revealed that the price increase of ginger in both "Nor Zovq" and "Carrefour" supermarkets was due to a price hike by the supplying organization. Simultaneously, the Commission noted that the supplier company for these supermarkets does not engage in the import of ginger. The Commission is currently investigating the sources, quantities, and prices of the acquisitions made by the intermediary company.

Moreover, it is noteworthy that according to information provided by the "Yerevan City" supermarket chain, which sourced ginger directly from the importer, the maximum selling price in March was 3,500 AMD for 1 kg. No price changes occurred in the "Yerevan City" supermarket chain, and the product is no longer available for sale at the end of March. The Commission's investigation into the ginger price increase is still ongoing, focusing on the acquisition chain conducted by suppliers.

According to sources, as per the information provided by the State Revenue Committee of Armenia, in March 2020, ginger was imported by 7 economic entities from 4 countries: the Netherlands, Georgia, Russia, and the UAE. The import volume for ginger in March 2020 was about 11,000 kg, compared to approximately 9,000 kg in February.