The rise in food prices did not slow down in January either
The process of high inflation, triggered by government interest rate cuts, also continues at full speed this year.
The rate of increase in food prices, which constitutes most of the population’s daily spending, continued in January.
Food prices, which rose 8.1 percent in January from a month earlier, rose 135.5 percent from January a year earlier.
Citizens had to pay 361 lira in January this year for a basket of food they bought for 100 lira in September 2021, when interest rate cuts began.
KAMUAR, the R&D unit of the United Public Public-Business Confederation, announced the January 2023 results of the Food Price Index, based on a basket of 64 staple foods whose prices are regularly collected from food markets. Ankara and that the public consumes. the majority
The aim of the research is to estimate the extent of real inflation experienced by wage earners, wage earners and the poor, who have to spend most of their income on food and have no inflation protection.
INCREASES THE RISK OF HUNGER
Rising food prices caused by misguided economic policies further increase the risk of hunger.
Price increases that hinder access to food force citizens to consume inadequate and unhealthy food. Experts say that this situation carries the risk of causing major health problems, especially in children.
Since September 2021, the wages and salaries of public employees and public pensioners have increased by 141 percent, including inflation differences.
The increase in the minimum wage was 200 percent, while the pensions of workers and independent workers increased by 132.2 percent.
Food prices have risen 361 percent since September, when Turkey was dragged into the ongoing inflationary spiral that will last for years with interest rate cuts.
That is, while it is necessary to pay 361 liras in January of the year to buy a food basket that was bought for 100 liras in September 2021, the income of 100 liras for public employees and pensioners in September 2021 is 241 liras today. , the minimum wage is 300 liras, the workers and self-employed that of pensioners was 232 liras.
MONTHLY PRICE INCREASE
In January, the high rate hikes in all spending groups except oil were the determinants of the increase in food prices.
Meat, vegetables, and milk and dairy products were the largest contributors to the monthly price increase.
Prices of bread, rice, flour and bulgur rose 0.8 percent in January compared with the previous month.
In January, the prices of the meat and fish group increased by 16.3 percent, while the prices of milk and milk products and the egg group increased by 6.6 percent.
Oil prices, on the other hand, declined 1.8 percent.
In January, where fruit prices rose 5.8 percent, vegetable prices rose 15.3 percent on average compared to the previous month.
In January, where prices of pulses rose 2.3 percent, prices of other processed foods, consisting of tomato concentrate, olives, honey, tea, salt and similar foods, rose 3.6 percent.
Thus, citizens paid 8.1 percent more money in January compared to the previous month to purchase a food basket made up of 64 foods selected according to their current eating habits.
ANNUAL CHANGE
In January this year, compared to the same month of the previous year, the prices of bread, flour, bulgur and pasta increased by 113.5%, the prices of meat and fish increased by 94% and the prices for milk, dairy products and eggs increased by 104%. .
Compared to a year ago, oil prices rose 40.7 percent. Fruit prices increased 240 percent and vegetable prices increased 343 percent.
The prices of pulses increased by 51.9 percent in the last year, while the prices of other foods increased by 105.4 percent.
The increases in the costs of agricultural inputs and the producer prices of agricultural products indicate that the annual increase in food prices will continue to be maintained at triple-digit rates in the coming months.
According to the calculation made on the basis of the average prices of the last 12 months in food prices, there was an increase of 152.6.