No big changes to fruit, vegetable supply despite price hikes

As per the statistics released by Maldives Ports Limited (MPL), the supply of food products have remained somewhat the same in the last month, even though prices of food such as fruits have gone up.

The statistics show that 1,359 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEU) were cleared last week at the commercial port of Male', with 553 20-foot containers and 403 40-foot containers.

Cleared perishable cargo included:

As per MPL statistics, the amount cleared last month was pretty much the same as the amount cleared from late July until the end of August. Even though some weeks saw fluctuations in cargo, there were no major changes in perishable cargo amounts.

The Essential Commodities Price Index (ECPI) that was publicized by the Maldives Bureau of Statistics states that compared to last year August's prices, there has been a 1.96 percent increase in food products. As per the ECPI, these prices keep going up month by month. There has been a 1.62 percent increase compared to last month.

The ECPI shows food products with the higher price hikes are fruits, oil and fat products. Fruits saw a price increase of 10.20 percent while oil and fat products saw a 5.38 percent price increase.

Liquid food products have seen a small decrease from July to August but compared to the same time last year, there is an increase of 1.58 percent.

Cosmetics and personal care items have seen price increases of more than 4.33 percent. 

Among essential items, gas and oil prices remain unchanged.