Olive oil greases the wheels of inflation

4 January 2005

MADRID-Olive oil, that staple of the Spanish kitchen, showed the biggest rise in price among all  foodstuffs last year.

On average, olive oil increased by 17 percent in 2004, while chicken went up 16 percent, the second biggest increase in prices.

Spain’s National Statistics Office found fresh chicken also rose 14.9 percent and apples by 14.3.

Frozen hake, a popular fish in Spain, rose by 8 percent in price, while tinned tomatoes (800g) went up by 6.8 percent.

But in contrast, the products which showed the steepest fall in price were clams and blue whiting (9 and 7 percent respectively). Lettuce also fell in price by 6.5 percent.

In December, the month in which food prices traditionally rise because of Christmas, tomatoes went up by 16 percent compared with the month before. Green peppers also rose by 11.3 percent.

Green beans and bananas from the Canary Islands also rose in price by 2.9 percent and 4.9 percent respectively.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news