Food inflation does not stop: “Turkey enters the most expensive Ramadan in its history”
According to data from the R&D unit of the United Confederation of Public Companies and Companies, KAMUAR, food prices rose 5.2 percent in March compared to the previous month.
KAMUAR announced the March 2023 results of the Food Price Index, which it regularly collects from Ankara markets and prepares based on a basket of 64 staple foods that are most consumed by the public.
INCREASED BY 34 MONTHS
The upward trend in food prices, which began in June 2020, continued in March this year, with prices rising 5.2 percent compared to the previous month.
Turkey, where food prices have increased by 19.5% in the first three months of the year and by 111.9% in the last year, is preparing to receive the month of Ramadan with the most expensive food prices in his story.
INCREASES THE RISK OF HUNGER
Rising food prices caused by misguided economic policies further increase the risk of hunger. 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 400 percent since September 2021, when Turkey was dragged into the current inflationary spiral that will last for years with interest rate cuts.
In other words, while in March this year it is necessary to pay 400 liras for a food basket bought for 100 liras in September 2021, the income of 100 liras for public employees and retirees in September 2021 is 241 liras today , the minimum wage is 300 liras, workers and retired self-employed workers, it was 232 liras.
IT HAS BEEN DOWN FOR 10 MONTHS IN THE WORLD, IT HAS BEEN RISING FOR 34 MONTHS IN TURKEY
While world food prices have continuously decreased for the past 10 months, food prices in Turkey have continuously increased for the past 34 months. Since 2020, Turkey has not seen again the cheapness of food prices, in which it is used to living, especially in the summer months. In the last 34 months, there has been a 485.2 percent increase in food prices in Turkey.
MONTHLY PRICE INCREASE
In March, the high rate of increases in all spending groups except oil and fruit was the determining factor behind the increase in food prices. The largest contribution to the monthly price increase was higher prices for bread, rice flour, bulgur pasta, meat, milk and dairy products.
CHANGE IN FOOD PRICES
The prices of bread, rice, flour and bulgur increased 9.7 percent in March compared to the previous month. In March, the prices of the meat and fish group increased by 10.1 percent, while the prices of milk and milk products and the egg group increased by 4.4 percent. Oil prices decreased 0.3 percent In March, when fruit prices decreased 2.5 percent, vegetable prices increased 1.3 percent on average compared to the previous month.
In March, where the prices of pulses increased 3.9 percent, the prices of other processed foods, consisting of tomato puree, olives, honey, tea, salt and similar foods, increased 1.3 percent. In March he paid 5.2 percent more money than the previous month to buy his basket.
ANNUAL CHANGE
In March of this year, compared to the same month of the previous year, there was an 85.2 percent increase in the prices of bread, flour, bulgur, pasta, 95 percent in the prices of meat and fish and 116 percent in milk prices. and dairy products and eggs. Compared with a year ago, oil prices rose 24.1 percent. Fruit prices increased 124.5 percent and vegetable prices increased 235.4 percent. Pulses prices increased 68.7 percent in the past year, while other food prices increased 96.6 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 151.1.