Monday 15th November 2021
Grain has also become more expensive
Prices for potatoes are increasing significantly
A good harvest last year, a bad one this year: potatoes cost “remarkably” more in September. The price of grain is also fueled by increased demand. Only one agricultural product has become cheaper.
A high demand from home and abroad is driving the price of grain. It rose in September by 33.3 percent compared to the previous year, as announced by the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden. The price of grain had already risen by more than 34 percent in August, the highest increase since 2013. The price for table potatoes also rose “remarkably” by 35.5 percent, as the statisticians also reported. This is the highest increase since August 2019.
Potatoes had also become significantly more expensive in August. The reason is the low harvest this year – and the comparatively low prices due to the good harvest last year. For rapeseed, farmers were able to charge a price almost 50 percent higher in September than a year ago. This was mainly due to the global decline in supply and, at the same time, high demand, for example for energy generation, as the Federal Office explained.
The total producer prices for agricultural products rose by 13.3 percent in September – those for vegetable products by 21.9 percent compared to the previous year. At that time, prices had declined due to the corona. Compared to August, there was now a decline of 1.3 percent. Cut flowers, for example, were 38.3 percent more expensive and lettuce 20.6 percent more expensive. The prices for animal products, on the other hand, rose by only 7.9 percent – the milk price rose by 13.1 percent due to the scarce supply.
The exception was pork, which was 6.5 percent cheaper than in September 2020. Statisticians see this as a consequence of the general decline in pork consumption. In the case of beef, however, the price increases continued, so that prices in September were 20.1 percent higher than a year earlier. Here, lower production met increasing demand. The effects on consumer prices are not exactly clear. However, it is to be expected that retailers will pass on their increased purchase prices to customers.