Maria do Céu Antunes said this Sunday that the government is studying “all measures” so that consumers can pay a fair price for food, without ruling out the possibility of price freezes.
“When we proposed the creation of this Price Observatory, looking for the Spanish model that works, it is in the sense of making sure that no link in the chain is harmed. We will study all measures to avoid interruptions at all stages of the food chain and ensure that consumers pay a fair price,” he said.
Maria do Céu Antunes spoke to journalists in Vila Nova de Paiva, in the Viseu district, where she visited Demo’s 11th Smoked Smoker Fair.
The establishment of the price observatory, announced in May 2022 by the government, was formalized by a decision published last October.
The aim is ‘effective monitoring’ of costs and prices in the agri-food chain and greater transparency.
An Agriculture Ministry source contacted by Lusa did not give a date when the observatory would begin operating, only referring to it being “in the very near future”.
The message signed by the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Maria do Céu Antunes, and by the then Secretary of State for Tourism, Commerce and Services, Rita Marques, stated that the purpose of this mechanism is to contribute to “greater” transparency throughout the agri-food value chain, monitor its evolution and provide competent authorities with a tool to monitor, evaluate and design better public policies in this area.
Source: DN
