Most Green Monday staples more expensive than last year

The price of most Green Monday staples is higher than last year, although a handful of items buck the trend, according to the latest price observatory published by the consumer protection service.

The observatory features prices for March 3 based on 77 points of sale – large and small supermarkets and fruit shops, in all the districts.

It focuses on items most popular on Green Monday such as vegetables, greens, halvas and seafood, with the consumer service stressing that the observatory aims to serve as a useful tool for consumers, to boost transparency and competition.

It also noted that quality varies; consumers should therefore carry out their market research before making any purchases.

The observatory surveyed the price of 15 fruit and vegetables, ranging from greens, celery and potatoes to beetroot and mushrooms. It also covered 12 types of halvas, 15 types of seafood, including octopus and squid, 20 types of dips and olives, six types of bakery products, two Cypriot red wines and two types of charcoal.

Based on prices from large supermarkets, the steepest rise compared to last year’s Green Monday (March 11, 2021) is in the price of artichokes which has soared 186.16 per cent to €2.56 a kilo from €0.98 a kilo.

Celery is up 41.35 per cent from €1.38 to €1.95, tomatoes are up 40.72 per cent to €2.41 a kilo from €1.71, while the price of greenhouse cucumbers has surged by 92.22 per cent to €3.31 cents a kilo, almost double the €1.72 a kilo they cost last year.

Only oranges are cheaper in this category – for the merlin variety prices are down 16.62 per cent to €1.61 a kilo and for yiafitika 8.46 per cent cheaper at €1.44 a kilo.

The survey covered a range of halvas of different makes. Prices ranged from 18.54 per cent more expensive to 4.45 per cent cheaper than last year’s Green Monday.

Most dips such as tahini, taramosalata, and humus, are also more expensive – the biggest increase is 16.81 per cent, although one brand of taramosalata and one brand of tachinosalata are cheaper by 4.39 and 7.74 per cent respectively.

Black olives cost 6.45 per cent more and traditional Cypriot green olive (tsakistes) 8.75 per cent more.

With the exception of olive pies that at €1.71 are 6.20 per cent cheaper than last year, bakery products are more expensive, ranging from 4.74 per cent costlier for laganes to 19.87 per cent more expensive for traditional Cypriot bread koulouri.

Charcoal for the BBQ is some 22 per cent more expensive.

Finally, seafood is overall more expensive. Though one brand of frozen octopus is 9.62 per cent cheaper and one brand of squid selling at a marginal 1.63 per cent lower price, the remaining six options are costlier with increases ranging from 3.93 per cent for fresh calamari to 34.85 per cent for fresh octopus.