There is still a "serious problem" in the marketing of fresh fruit and vegetables leading to excessive retail price increases, reports the Cyprus Consumers Association, which reports an average profit margin of 165% on the retail price for the 15 items included in the "e Coffin" of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment.
In a statement, the Cypriot Consumers' Association states that "the gap between the sales price from the various producers' associations and the retail price still remains at unreasonably high levels" and calls on the competent authorities to address "this problem as soon as possible".
Proceeding to a comparison of an actual producer association invoice with the average retail selling price, as recorded in the Ministry of Agriculture's observatory, "e Kofini", on October 14, 2024, the Association reports that the average profit rate for the 15 items, which includes the comparison was at 165% and ranged from 97% – 342%.
He adds that on the same day, the average profit percentage from the prices recorded in "e Kofini" for 19 items was 73% and ranged from 53% - 158%
"Taking the appropriate measures is imperative because it is not only at the expense of consumers in a prolonged period of accuracy, but also at the expense of producers who are not paid according to the price paid by the consumer", concludes the Cyprus Consumers' Association.
Source: KYPE
