Tuesday, October 16, 2007

FOOD PRICES

UPDATE, 20.10.07: Yesterday it was reported that the price of bread had risen by 79% in a single day in a Rome supermarket!
James is doing some research into food prices around the world and has asked his readers for the prices of certain items where they are. I reproduce the information I have given him here for readers who do not read both blogs as it may be of interest:

As of this morning, supermarket prices in Modica, Sicily:

1 kilo minced beef - €7,89
No frozen chicken here but fresh is sold by weight - €3,45 per kilo. Most of those on sale are pretty large and even if you say you don’t want the head and feet, they will be weighed and the weight included in the price.
Fish – I have some difficulty with this as I never buy it and the smell of a fishmonger’s turns my stomach, but according to a friend: swordfish - €25 per kilo, anchovies - €7, cod - €15.
1 litre carton semi-skimmed milk - €1,13
Cheese: Swiss Emmenthal - €9, 19 per kilo. Mild local cheese - €6,10.
Bread: Baguette weighing 0, 350 kg - €0,75. Local bread - €2, 60.
Eggs: Never seen any battery eggs here. Local eggs - €0, 81 for 6.
Coffee, 250 gr medium roast, hard pack - €2,05.
Sunflower oil is difficult to find here. Corn oil - €1,10 per litre, extra-virgin olive oil, popular brand - €6,41 per litre. Most of the olive oil sold is extra-virgin.
Bananas - €1,69 per kilo.

All fruit and vegetables can be purchased more cheaply from roadside lorries but you have to buy them by the crate and I can neither carry nor use that amount quickly enough.

I mentioned the increase in the price of wheat here and, interestingly, it was reported today that the price of bread in Rome has gone up to €3,60 per kilo and there is to be an enquiry there, the results of which could have repercussions for other towns. [Remember that the type of bread on sale varies greatly from town to town here.]

6 comments:

Lee said...

1 kilo minced beef - $8.95 to $11 (sometimes on special for $5.00kg)

Pork leg at the moment is $4.50 to $5.48kg

Leg lamb at the moment between $6.00-7.00kg.

Fresh chickens average $4.50kg Fresh breast fillets $9.00 to $13.50kg.
Frozen chickens, I'm not sure about at the moment but they're probably between $2-3.00.

Fish – well that varies whether you're buying local or imported. Imports are cheaper than local, but local is better than imports. I'm unable at the moment to give you prices on most fish but fresh Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon is around $30.00kg.

1 litre carton semi-skimmed milk - around $2.00-$2.40 Full cream 1tr is $2.00

Tasmanian Camembert & Brie on special are $6.00, normally around $8.00 for 250g

French stick/baguette $2.60
Bread ranges between $1.60 a loaf up to $4.00

Eggs: range from $2.80-$4.50 per dozen
Coffee, 200 gr Moccona medium roast, instant $$8.98 to $12.00 depending where and if on special or not. Lavazza/Vittorio 200g....$9.00-$11.00

Vegetable oils range from around $1.60 upwardsper litre, extra-virgin olive oil, popular brand - range from $6.50 upwards per litre.
Bananas - since Cyclone Larry early last year banana prices have sky-rocketed. They're only now starting to come down. I bought some a couple of days ago at $2.50kg...one store down the coast (Aldi) had them for $1.49kg at the same time. They did go up to over $10.00kg after Cyclone Larry, which had all but devastated the banana plantations in North Queensland.

Sundowner apples are around $3.00-3.50kg at present. Other apples are up around $5. to $6.00 per kg. Potatoes (unwashed) are around $1.29-$1.50kg.
Snow Peas are $6.84kg.

Fruit and vegetables are pretty expensive here at the moment as we're in the midst of a crippling drought and the fruit and vegetable-growing areas are hard-hit. Tomatoes have been up to over $8.00 a kg but are slowing coming down. I bought them at $4.29 a kg last Friday.

Roma Tomatoes are on special at Woolworths this week at $3.29kg.

I guess I could go on and on...and, also, of course, prices are varying because of weekly specials, but the above should give an idea.

jmb said...

Interesting WCLC. Most of these things cost much the same in Euros as in dollars here except milk and cheese which is cheaper there. The exchange rate is 1EU = Ca$ 1.38 so I guess things are about a third more expensive than here.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, Lee. Very interesting to know about prices there. I'll let James know. Thanks.
Hi, jmb. Interesting to know about Canada, too.

Ellee Seymour said...

We had a tiny pointed cabbage for dinner last night, not much longer than a carrot, and it cost almost £1. Twas from Waitrose, though.

James Higham said...

I plan to collate these lists on the weekend.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, Ellee. Do you find Waotrose expensive compared to the others, then? I've lost touch on these comparisons now. IT will be interesting to read your conclusions, James.

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