Turkish food prices 20 pct higher than global average: Association

“Turkish authorities should use the gun of imports to thwart the rise in food prices… If the road to imports opens in specific food products, speculative prices decrease to normal levels and Turkey will most likely reach its food inflation targets,” said Kopuz, as quoted by Reuters. 

He addressed the dramatic rise in food prices in the country, which was around 20 percent higher than the global average. 

“Due to harsh weather conditions, we saw significant yield losses in many agricultural products, mainly in cereals and fruits, and this pushed prices up in many products. One week ahead of the holy month Ramadan, the prices are still very high, and this is not normal,” he added. 

According to Kopuz, the prices were still high due to speculative moves. 

“There are many people whose main business is not food production, but they stock food products,” he said.
 
Food and beverage prices rose 12.81 percent in May, according to official data, while global food prices fell to their lowest since September 2009 with declines in cereals, dairy and meat products outweighing slight increases in oils and sugar, the United Nations’ food agency, FAO, said on June 4.