site.btaWholesale Food Prices Continue to Rise Smoothly

The Market Price Index (MPI), which reflects the movement of wholesale food prices in the country, increased by 0.65% to 2.178 points this week. 

The MPI level at the beginning of the year was 2,316 points and in the first third of March it reached its spring high of 2,480 points. A year ago, in the first week of September 2022, the index was at 2,073 points, or 5% lower. The MPI's baseline level of 1,000 points has been in place since 2005. Food prices are typically lowest in the summer - and that's because of the seasonal cheapening of fruits and vegetables.

This week, melons rose 0.7% to BGN 1.41 per kilo, while watermelons fell 2.6% to BGN 0.75 per kilo. Imported apples rose by 1.6% to BGN 1.95. Bananas fell by 1.5% to BGN 2.69 per kilo and lemons rose by 1.4% to BGN 3.00 per kilo. Peaches fell by 3.7% to BGN 2.58 per kilo. 

Potatoes fell by 2.9% to BGN 1.35 per kilo, cabbage by 5.0% to BGN 1.14 per kilo. Greenhouse cucumbers fell by 3% to BGN 2.92 per kilo. Tomatoes (greenhouse) rose by 7.5% to BGN 2.58 per kilo. Green peppers fell by 6.1% to BGN 1.70 per kilo during the week and red peppers by 6.7% to BGN 2.23 per kilo. Imported ripe onions sold 1.9% lower at BGN 1.56 per kilo. Carrots dropped by 0.7% and traded at BGN 1.37 per kilo.

Cow's cheese fell by 0.5% to BGN 11.28 per kilo, Vitosha-type cheese by 1.5% and sold at BGN 17.30 per kilo.

Yoghurt is cheaper by 5.3% and a 400 g pot sold for BGN 1.08. Fresh milk is down by 1.8% and sells for BGN 2.13 per litre.

Chicken meat rose by 0.9%, reaching BGN 6.57 per kilo.

Medium sized eggs are bought this week at BGN 0.32 apiece wholesale.

Rice rose by 3.8% and traded at BGN 3.30 per kg. Lentils rose by 1.7% to BGN 4.20 per kilo at the end of the week, while beans fell 3.6% to BGN 3.99 per kilo. 

Sugar rose by 1.2% to BGN 2.44 per kilo and type 500 flour by 2.2% to BGN 1.42 per kilo. Oil jumped by 3.9% to BGN 2.94 per litre in a plastic bottle, while cow butter fell by 0.4% to BGN 2.55 per packet of 125g.