THE prices of fruits and vegetables significantly increase between the field and the final sale in the market, Zaman reports.
The final price surveys reveal huge disparity between the grower’s and the market’s prices. For example, the price of tomatoes increases from Kr 60 to TL 2.02 at the market.
The difference between the grower’s and the market’s price is 236 percent for tomatoes, 297 percent for cucumbers, 312 percent for squash, 130 percent for potatoes and 487 percent for parsley.
This is also the case with pulse vegetables. The price of chickpeas rises from TL 2.15 to TL 6.14, the price of lentils from TL 1.70 to TL 4.83 and the price of rice from TL 2.14 to TL 7.50.
Food prices increased recently following periods of drought, frost and hail. However, the grower-market price research published by the Turkish Union of Agricultural Chambers (TZOB) reveals the prices are also affected by the involvement of mediators.
Research shows the price of food significantly increases during transit from the grower to the final sale.
For instance, in June, the price of green peppers increased from Kr 65 to TL 2.17, the price difference was 231 percent for green peppers, 312 percent for squash, 279 percent for onions, 239 percent for heads of lettuce and 487 percent for parsley. The same is also applicable for pulse vegetables as well.
Speaking to Sunday’s Zaman on the subject, Mehmet Bülent Deniz, chair of the Consumer Protection Association, argued that the inflated food prices are because of the growing number of mediators and the additional costs in the markets.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Ministry of Customs and Trade has launched a new identification system for fruit and vegetables through special labels with basic information about their origin.
The Customs and Trade Minister, Hayati Yazici, said that “now our consumers will know where and how the product was grown.” With the State Registration System it is possible to know, for example, whether a fresh tomato is really organic and produced in Ayaş.
This application is aimed to be implemented in all retail outlets.