Retailers making almost 350% profit on fresh fruit and veg

Marketing fresh fruit and vegetables is still “seriously problematic”, with exorbitant retail prices and profits of up to 342 per cent, the Cyprus Consumers Association said on Tuesday.

The association said the difference in prices from production to shelves was unjustifiably high and called on the authorities to intervene for a solution as soon as possible.

Profits for 15 products monitored by the ministry of agriculture’s e-Kofini tool displayed an average of 165 per cent, ranging from 97 per cent to 342 per cent, the association said, comparing the producers’ association invoice with the retail prices on October 14.

The association said corrective measures must be taken because consumers were overpaying and producers were being underpaid.

e-Kofini is a price observatory for fruit and vegetable products, aimed at ensuring transparency and fair prices in the local market.

It can be found on the agriculture ministry’s website at www.moa.gov.cy/ekofini. It regularly publishes the average selling prices of basic locally produced fruit and vegetables.