Variations of up to 300% detected in fruit and vegetable prices

SANTIAGO. -  Price differences of up to 300% were detected by the Consumer Unit of the Agricultural Research and Policy Office (ODEPA) of the Ministry of Agriculture.

The vegetables with the greatest price discrepancies (over 100%) were Chinese garlic, Valencia onion, endive lettuce, lemons, cardinal potatoes, green peppers, white and green beans, long-life tomatoes and zucchini.

Cardinal potatoes are the product that exhibited the highest variation, equal to 300%.  This means that while a supermarket in the Eastern part of the city presents a value of close to $1,200 pesos, prices at open markets in the eastern and northern parts of the capital hover around $300 pesos.

This week, the Ministry of Agriculture poll showed that the cheapest prices for fruits and vegetables were found in open markets in the eastern and northern parts of the city, while the highest prices were discovered at supermarkets in the eastern and northern parts of the capital.