Armenia: Cured Meat, Smoked Sausage, Local Fish More Expensive in October, While Pork was Cheaper

The 0.3% increase of overall prices in the foodstuffs market in Armenia in Oct. 2011 as compared to the previous month is mainly due to the 0.4% to 4.6% increase in meat products, dairy, sugar, fish products, eggs and confectionery.

In 10 of the 13 food products that the RA National Statistical Service monitored this month, there was a 0.1–4.6% increase in prices, while in the other three products, there was 1.4–0.1% decrease.

The state agency found a 8.2% price increase in confectionery products in Oct. 2011 as compared to the same month last year, and an increase of 4.6% as compared to the month before. This is said to be due to a 9.9% increase in the cost of caramel.

The average price for eggs rose by 1.1% in Oct. 2011 as compared to last month.

In terms of fish products, again prices rose, by 1.0% in Oct. 2011 as compared to Sept. 2011 (said to be due to the 1.4% increase in the cost of a local breed of fish known as Ishkhan).

Not as much, but still an increase in prices was noted for meat products: 0.4% increase this month as compared to last month.

Though there were price increases for beef (0.7%), pelmeni dumplings (2.6%), basturma cured beef (3.5%) and good quality smoked sausage (8.9%), prices for pork and mutton dropped by 1.2% and 0.4%, respectively.

In 10 cities surveyed in Armenia, the price of meat products rose by 0.3–1.5% with the highest increase noted in Talin). In the capital, Yerevan, meat product prices rose by 0.3%.

However, prices for fruit dropped by 9.7–1.4% in 7 of the cities surveyed (the most decrease being observed in Dilijan), while in the remaining 4 cities there was an increase of 0.5–7.3%.

In the Armenian capital, prices for fruit in Oct. 2011 as compared to the previous month dropped by 1.4%.