Food prices rose 136.3% in one year

United Kamu-İş Union published People’s Inflation research for February 2023.

Consequently, food prices rose 5.1 percent in February compared to the previous month. Thus, the continuous increase in food prices took 33 months.

The latest one-year price increase in food was measured at 136.3 percent.

In the written statement made by the union, it was stated that “citizens had to pay 379 lira in February this year for a basket of food they bought for 100 lira in September 2021, when interest rate cuts began.”

FOOD PRICES INCREASE 154.6 PERCENT IN 12 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 154.6 percent.

“Rising food prices caused by misguided economic policies further increases the risk of hunger,” the study said.

Noting that since September 2021 the wages and salaries of public employees and public retirees have increased by 14%, including inflation differences, and the increase in the minimum wage has increased by 200%, it was noted that the Food prices have increased by 379.4% since September alone:

In other words, while in February of this year you have to pay 389 liras for a basket of food bought at 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, workers and self-employed workers, that of the pensioner was 232 liras”.

THE LARGEST INCREASE IN VEGETABLE PRICES

According to the research, the prices of bread, rice, flour and bulgur rose 4.1 percent in February compared with the previous month.

In February, the prices of the meat and fish group increased by 9.6 percent, while the prices of milk and milk products and the egg group increased by 2.3 percent. Oil prices, on the other hand, rose 1.9 percent.

In February, where fruit prices rose 0.2 percent, vegetable prices rose 10.1 percent on average compared to the previous month.

In February this year, compared to the same month of the previous year, the prices of bread, flour, bulgur and pasta increased by 101.6%, the prices of meat and fish increased by 130.2% , the prices of milk and milk products and eggs increased by 116.8%.

FRUITS AND FISH FOLLOWED

Compared to a year ago, oil prices rose 62.3 percent. Fruit prices increased 156.9 percent and vegetable prices increased 272.5 percent. Pulses prices increased 72.9 percent in the past year, while other food prices increased 107.3 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.