site.btaWholesale Food Prices Down by 0.14% in First Week of September

The market price index (MPI), which reflects the movement of wholesale food prices in Bulgaria, fell by 0.14% to 2.175 this week. 

The level of the MPI at the beginning of 2023 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 was set in 2005. Food prices are typically lowest in the summer - and that's because of the seasonal cheapening of fruits and vegetables.

The price of melons rose by 2.1% to BGN 1.46 per kilo this week, while watermelons went up by 7.7% to BGN 0.84 per kilo. Imported apples rose by 5.7% to BGN 2.03. Bananas traded at BGN 2.73 per kilo, while lemons fell by 2.6% to BGN 2.94 per kilo. Peaches fell by 8.2% to BGN 2. 46 per kilo. 

Potatoes fell by 4.4% to BGN 1.29 per kilo, cabbage - by 8.5% to BGN 1.08 per kilo. Greenhouse cucumbers dropped by 14.7% to BGN 2.55 per kilo. Greenhouse tomatoes rose by 9.6% to BGN 2.75 per kg. Green peppers fell by 8.1% during the week to BGN 1.58 per kilo and red peppers by 3.5% to BGN 2.18 per kilo. Imported ripe onions are selling 1.3% lower at BGN 1.53 per kilo. Carrots lost 10.7% of their value and traded at BGN 1.25 per kilo.

The price of white brined cheese from cow's milk dropped by 0.8% to BGN 11.22 per kilo, the price of Vitosha yellow kashakaval cheese dropped by 0.4% to BGN 17.28 per kilo.

Yoghurt ( 3% fat and above) is 2.7% cheaper and a 400 g container can be bought for BGN 1.07. Fresh milk (3% fat content) is down by 1.4% and sells for BGN 2.12 per litre.

Chicken meat is 1.8% cheaper and is offered at BGN 6.44 per kilo.

The price of eggs (size M) this week remained at BGN 0.32 per piece wholesale. 

Rice fell by 4.2% and traded at BGN 3.16 per kilo. Lentils fell by 1.4% to BGN 4.11 per kilo at the end of the week, and beans fell sharply by 27.3% to BGN 2.95 per kilo. 

Sugar fell by 0.8% to BGN 2.43 per kilo and type 500 flour by 2.1% to BGN 1.40 per kilo. Sunflower oil is traded at BGN 2.95 per litre in a plastic bottle, while cow butter (125 gram packet) is down 2.7% to BGN 2.50 per packet.