Despite being in the midst of the growing season, consumers in the Czech Republic continue to grapple with high prices for vegetables. Potatoes are fetching as much as 30 crowns per kilogram, while tomatoes are being sold for 70 crowns per kilogram. This surge in prices has been particularly noticeable for potatoes, which have witnessed a year-on-year increase of 60%, and tomatoes, which have seen a 45% rise, according to statisticians.

While overall food price inflation eased slightly last month compared to previous periods, it still rose by around 10% year-on-year. However, this trend has failed to bring relief to consumers who are facing the strain of elevated costs.

On the bright side, a few items such as butter and pork have experienced price decreases compared to the previous year. However, even these items are beginning to see price increases once again.

The surge in vegetable prices isn’t limited to just potatoes and tomatoes. Onions and peppers have also experienced significant price hikes over the past few months, with little relief even during the July harvest season. Overall, vegetables and eggs have seen prices increase by about a third compared to the previous year. Despite this, overall food prices did exhibit a marginal decline of 0.8% compared to the previous month.

Agricultural analyst Petr Havel attributes this year’s unusual price trend to unfavorable weather conditions in southern Europe and northern Africa, leading to reduced production supply from these regions, which indirectly impacts prices in the Czech market. This situation has also affected potato prices.

Despite the modest easing, inflation remains stubbornly high in the Czech Republic, hovering at four times the inflation target set by the Czech National Bank. The inflation rate in the country is significantly higher than the European Central Bank’s desired target of around two percent. Looking back over the past two years, the surge in prices is evident; the annual inflation rate stood at a staggering 17.5% in July of the previous year, signifying an overall price increase of more than 26% in just two years.

In a European context, inflation in the Czech Republic ranks among the highest, with Hungary reporting the highest inflation rate at 17.6%. Neighboring countries Slovakia and Poland experienced higher inflation rates in July at 10.9% and a slightly lower rate, respectively. Despite these challenges, economists expect that consumer price growth will likely continue to moderate in the third quarter, although the recent fuel tax increase could contribute to fluctuations in inflation rates.

Article by Prague Forum