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Potato harvest
Photo: Christoph Schmidt / dpa
Agricultural entrepreneurs in Germany were able to push through significant price increases in September.
On average, the prices rose by 13.3 percent compared to the same month last year, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
At that time, prices had declined due to the corona.
Plant products in particular became noticeably more expensive: They cost 21.9 percent more than a year ago. "This is due, among other things, to the grain prices that have already risen in the past few months," write the statisticians. Above all, the high demand from mills at home and abroad ensured that grain prices were a third higher than in September 2020. The grain price had already increased by more than 34 percent in August, the highest increase since 2013.
The price of table potatoes also rose "remarkably" by 35.5 percent, as the statisticians wrote.
That is the highest increase since August 2019. Potatoes had also become significantly more expensive in August.
The reason is the low harvest this year.
In addition, a so-called base effect comes into play here.
"A year ago, a large harvest resulted in low prices due to the corona-related low demand," explained the statisticians.
Rapeseed rose in price by as much as 49.2 percent.
Here, a globally declining supply meets high demand, for example for energy generation.
The price increase for vegetable and horticultural products such as cut flowers and lettuce was 6.6 percent.
The prices for animal products rose by 7.9 percent compared to the same month last year.
Milk in particular became more expensive: 13.1 percent more had to be paid for it, which is mainly due to a short 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 addition, countries like China are currently not importing pork from Germany because of African swine fever.
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.
mmq / Reuters / dpa / AFP