Food prices in Bulgaria are the highest for the last 5 years. Prices of most products have risen to a record high during the pandemic, data from the State Commission on Commodity Exchanges and Markets show.

As of early March, wholesale prices for oil, rice, sugar, cheese, minced meat and pork had risen the most. The average prices of most of them have been at record levels for the last 5 years.

In fruits and vegetables, the most serious is the appreciation in cucumbers, cabbage and oranges.

Exactly a year after the start of the pandemic, both traders and customers see the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on food prices. For average consumer every penny on top because of the more expensive transport and delivery costs, in recent months makes the difference.

In just a year, almost all of the products they put in the shopping cart are getting more expensive, according to data from the Commission, which monitors the wholesale market. As of the beginning of March the most serious was the growth in wholesale prices of oil, sausages, mince, rice and chicken.

"At the moment we have a more shrinking demand. The pandemic has had a negative impact on food demand. People buy just as much as they need. Excess food consumption – does not exist at the moment", commented Vladimir Ivanov from the State Commission on Commodity Exchanges and Markets.

"Overall, in the fruit and vegetable group we currently have lower price levels than last year, but in other foods we have changes - on average 7-8 per cent, which are small variations - rather related to industrial costs, not so much to other marketing costs," he said.