They discovered an increase of up to 875% in the prices of basic products in supermarkets

“FACUA-Consumidors en Acció discovered an increase of up to 875% in the prices of some basic foods in supermarkets compared to their original price,” it was reported in the penultimate week of January. This is one of the conclusions reached by the study conducted by the association, which He compared the amount paid to a farmer to produce a product to the price at which the consumer later bought it at the point of sale.

Thirteen products were considered in this analysis, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, eggs and sunflower oils.. The original prices were obtained and/or calculated using data published by the Sub-General Directorate for Analysis, Coordination and Statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in relation to the first week of January 2024. Recording of prices in the supermarket was carried out on 2, 3, 8 and 9 January 2024. .

Double labeling

For many years, FACUA has been calling on governments to enforce double labeling, so consumers can know how much farmers are charging for produce sold in supermarkets. Double labeling would provide the possibility of knowing which companies are inflating their margins the most, and which companies are penalizing the primary sector the most by forcing them to adjust prices excessively..

For example, a kilo of lemons was paid at the origin at the beginning of January at a price of 0.20 euros, while the price per kilo at the points of sale is on average 1.79 euros (695% more expensive).. This difference reaches 875%. In other cases it is not so high: the farmer is paid 3.94 euros per kilo of strawberries, for example. This fruit is currently available in supermarkets at €11.48 per kilo (191% more expensive). The highest price is found in Mercadona Woodia, in a 500g can at 5.99 euros. In these cases, the difference from the original price reaches 204%. Currently, a kilo of potatoes costs an average of €1.29 at the point of sale, 214% more than the €0.61/kilo paid at the origin. For his part, the farmer charges about 1.53 euros to produce a dozen eggs of size M, while consumers buy this product from the supermarket for 2.48 euros on average (62% more expensive). The price of a dozen eggs labeled Pazo de Vilane in Carrefour is 3.69 euros, a difference of 141% compared to the price paid at the origin.