In recent weeks, the price of avocados has soared in Mexico. In Coahuila, it oscillates between 49 and 56 pesos per kilo in major supermarkets.
Mr Marcos Durán, federal delegate of Economy, believes that there is no good reason for prices to have gone "through the roof" and that they must necessarily drop in the coming weeks.
"There is no economic variable that could affect the price of avocados in Mexico; it is a matter of 'speculation', as was the case with lemons in previous weeks before going back to their normal price," he said.
The price of avocados in the main supermarkets in Coahuila ranges between 49.90 and 59.90 pesos.
The price has increased over the past three months, since in early February this year, the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco) announced that the price stood at 22.39 pesos per kilo. At that time, it was warned that the price had recently increased by five pesos per kilo.
According to information from the National Market System in the Central de Abastos of Torreón, a 10 kilo box of avocados costs 290 pesos; in the City of Mexico, it is worth 400 pesos, and in Pachuca, it reaches 380 pesos; meanwhile, a 9 kilo box costs 385 pesos in Guadalajara and 350 pesos in Nuevo León.
According to Marcos Durán, this price will be regulated in the next two weeks and go back to between 30 and 36 pesos per kilo.
"While we are concerned about the increase of avocado prices, overall consumer prices have decreased by 0.48 percent in the first half of May. We have an annual inflation rate from May last year to this year of 2.53 percent; that is within what has been raised by the Government of the Republic," the official said.
Source: lavanguardia.com.mx
