Portugal recorded the largest increase in prices of basic agricultural products in the second quarter (22%), with the European Union (EU) showing a strong slowdown, reaching a rate of 2%, Eurostat reported this Tuesday.
Between the second quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2023, the average price of agricultural products in the EU as a whole (production) increased by 2.0%, a significantly lower rate of increase compared to the previous quarter, when the price average increased by 17% (Q1 2023 compared to Q1 2022).
At national level, the EU statistical service points out, the indicator rose in ten of the 27 Member States, with Portugal registering the largest increase between April and June, followed by Greece (21%) and Spain (16%), three countries heavily affected by drought
At the other end of the table, with the largest declines, are Lithuania (-26%) and Estonia (-15%).
In turn, the average price of production factors not related to investments (fertilizers, energy and feed) fell by 5% between the second quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2023, the first decline since the fourth quarter of 2022. 2020 and that contrasts with the 11% acceleration in the first three months of the year.
Citrus fruits were the products whose prices rose the most in the EU between April and June (89% on average), followed by olive oil (48%) and potatoes (38%), an increase attributed to production losses due to the drought.
In turn, grain prices fell by 31%, followed by poultry (-4%) and milk (-2%).
Among production factors not related to investment, the most pronounced price declines were in fertilizers and soil improvers (-23%), energy and lubricants (-13%) and animal feed (-5%).
Source: DN
