This article was originally published in English
After food prices soared in 2021 and 2022, more than five essential food products saw their prices fall in 2024, including milk and cereals.
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In 2024, prices of agricultural products in the European Union saw a slight decrease of 2% compared to 2023.
This price drop follows sharp increases in 2021 and 2022, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, extreme weather and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Despite an increase in olive oil prices in 2024, the prices of cereals fell by 15%, those of eggs by 8% and those of vegetables and horticultural products by 2%.
Pork and poultry prices also fell by 7% and 8% respectively.
According to Eurostat figures, milk prices fell in 16 EU countries in 2024.
The biggest drop was recorded in Finland with a 12% drop in prices, followed by Portugal with 10% and Spain with 8%.
On the other hand, the largest increase was recorded in Ireland with a price increase of 15%, followed by Lithuania with 11% and Latvia with 10%.
Regarding production, the cost of seeds and veterinary services increased by 3%.
On the other hand, the prices of fertilizers and soil conditioners fell by 18%, those of animal feed by 11% and those of plant protection products and pesticides by 2%.
European Commission measures
After a year in which farmers regularly protested, the European Commission has presented an initiative to ensure that they receive fair compensation and are no longer forced to sell their products at prices below production costs .
The proposed measures include mandatory written contracts that require buyers to clearly define key terms such as price, quantity and delivery times, taking into account market conditions and cost fluctuations.
The package also introduces a regulation aimed at strengthening enforcement of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCD), which was adopted five years ago but remains largely unenforced.
Video editor • Mert Can Yilmaz
