General Industry

Price Of Potatoes Increases By 85%

By Publications Checkout
Price Of Potatoes Increases By 85%

According to new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the prices for everyday staples such as potatoes, meat, flour and broccoli have risen significantly since January 2012. The largest price-hike recorded was on a 10-kilo sack of potatoes, which rose from €5.06 to €9.34, an extraordinary increase in price of 85%.

While the price of some foodstuffs such as lamb, milk, onions, Irish cheddar and butter fell, broccoli (+20%), brown flour (+17%), topside or rib roast beef (+14%) and pork sausages (13%) all showed significant price increases. Price climbs were also recorded for white flour, chicken, tomatoes, carrots, pork, ham, eggs and mushrooms.

Further price climbs are likely to follow during 2013, with the delayed onset of spring this year meaning that home-grown crops are several weeks behind their usual schedule, leading to higher prices at market. 

Beekeepers have warned that there is also a significant threat to honey supplies this year, as the long winter and an outbreak of disease have decimated colonies. The losses have knock-on effects for the wider agricultural sector, as bees play a vital role in the pollination of many crops. 

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