The average prices of basic foods in large commercial chains fell by up to 34%, in the context of the application of the provisions of the ordinance regarding the capping of commercial additions, the biggest reductions being for fruits and vegetables, according to the data analyzed by the Competition Council, write Agerpres.

„Thus, compared to the average prices in June, on 1 August, the biggest discounts applied by the large retail chains were recorded for fruits and vegetables. The price of grapes recorded an average decrease of almost 34%, followed by plums, the price of which fell by about 30%, potatoes (28.4%), bell peppers (27.5%), Kapia peppers (25.6%), carrots (24.2%) and watermelons (22.2 %),” a press release of the competition authority informs.

The average price of meat decreased by up to 12.1%, while the average price of dairy products recorded a reduction of up to 12.3% on August 1 compared to June. Milk, still subject to the voluntary price reduction agreement, reported a 5.3% drop, ending up costing, on average, 5.05 RON. The price of Romanian fresh milk had registered, since May, reductions, on average, of 20% in most stores, following the aforementioned agreement, underlines the source.

The other products included in the basic basket, such as bread, oil, eggs, sugar and butter, also saw price reductions.

Among the products targeted by the reduction of the commercial surcharge, only red apples saw an increase of 3.6%, up to the price of 3.9 RON, the reason being the seasonality, the harvest of apples being carried out in autumn, explained the Competition Council.

On 1 August 2023, the Government’s Emergency Ordinance entered into force establishing temporary measures to combat excessive price increases in 14 basic food groups: bread, milk, cheese, yogurt, flour, buttermilk, eggs, sunflower oil, fresh chicken meat, fresh pork meat, fresh vegetables in bulk, fresh fruit in bulk, fresh potatoes in bulk and sugar.