site.btaFood Wholesale Market Index Reflects Further Seasonal Drop in Fruit and Vegetable Prices

Sofia, July 16 (BTA) - The food wholesale market index has dropped by 2.9 percentage points since early July to 1.310 points, Bulgaria's State Commission on Commodity Exchanges and Wholesale Markets reported.

Locally grown hothouse tomatoes were selling at 1.17 leva/kg (down by 20.4 per cent) in the week starting July 10. Garden grown tomatoes lost 24.2 per cent to 1.38 leva/kg. Hothouse cucumbers cheapened 16 per cent to 0.84 leva/kg on average. Outdoor cucumbers sold at 1.30 leva/kg.

Potatoes lost 2.6 per cent to 0.74 leva/kg wholesale. Cabbage dropped by 14.3 per cent to 0.42 leva/kg. Carrots were selling at 0.77 leva/kg. Courgettes lost 4.1 per cent to 0.70 leva/kg. Green peppers were selling at 1.60 leva/kg wholesale.

Apples averaged 1.55 leva/kg, 0.6 per cent down from a week earlier. Lemons were going at 3.05 leva/kg, 3.7 per cent up from the previous week. Watermelons lost 33.3 per cent to 0.40 leva/kg. Apricots were selling at 1.20 leva/kg and peaches at 1.15 leva/kg.

Cow's white brined cheese went down by 0.7 per cent to an average of 5.86 leva/kg, and Vitosha kashkaval yellow cheese was trading at 10.01 leva/kg. The wholesale price of cooking oil was 2.08 leva/litre.

Minced meat could be had at 4.80 leva/kg, up 3.7 per cent from last week. Frozen chicken was selling at 3.81 leva/kg. Sugar went up 0.6 per cent to 1.59 leva/kg. Type 500 flour went up 2.5 per cent to 0.80 leva/kg. Eggs were selling at 0.17 leva apiece wholesale.