Vegetables and fruits are cheaper wholesale

The prices of lettuce, tomatoes, onions and carrots fell in October in the country's main supply centers. The data is part of the 11th Prohort Bulletin on Horticulture Commercialization in Ceasas in 2016, released this Tuesday (22) by the National Supply Company (Conab), a company linked to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa).

Carrot prices varied between R$0,70/kilo in Ceasa Campinas (SP) and R$1,50/kilo in Recife (PE). In Brasília, even with an increase of 7,64%, vegetables were sold at R$0,81/kilo. A similar situation occurred with onions in Curitiba: despite the 9,58% increase, the product continues to have one of the lowest prices among the states analyzed: R$ 1,07 per kilo.

Lettuce was 46,29% cheaper in Campinas, sold at R$2,39/kilo. In Brasília, the price was even lower, R$2,29/kilo, despite the increase of 37,58% compared to September. A kilo of tomatoes cost R$2,00 in São Paulo, a drop of 32,52%, and R$2,94 in Brasília, an increase of 3,95%. This diverse trend is explained by the fact that the production of both vegetables is influenced by the local climatic conditions of each producing region.

Potatoes were the only vegetable that had an increase in prices in the nine supply centers analyzed due to the off-season, when there is a reduction in supply. The price was between R$1,47 per kilo in Belo Horizonte and R$2,54/kilo in Recife.

Among vegetables, there was also a drop in the average prices of spinach (60%), artichokes (50%), green beans (385), chayote (27%), cucumber (23%) and jiló (18%).

Pricing

Papaya and watermelon were cheaper in eight of the nine supply centers analyzed. The price of watermelon ranged from R$0,80/kilo in Recife to R$1,43/kilo in Rio de Janeiro. In the case of papaya, the lowest price was observed in Belo Horizonte (R$ 1,61/ kilo) and the highest, in Brasília (R$ 2,99/ kilo), with drops of 7,86% and 22,37 %, respectively.

The price of bananas also fell in six of the nine Ceasas. The biggest reduction occurred in Vitória (8,74%), but the lowest price was recorded in Recife. In the capital of Pernambuco, the fruit was sold for R$0,98/kg.

Other fruits that recorded significant price drops were nectarines (63%), plums (59%), peach (58%), melon (40%), jabuticaba (34%) and persimmon (23%).

The survey is carried out monthly by Conab's Brazilian Horticultural Market Modernization Program (Prohort), based on information provided by large wholesale markets in the country. To analyze price behavior in October, the main warehouses in the states of SP, MG, RJ, ES, PR, CE, PE and DF were considered.

Click here to access the full bulletin.