Food industry argues over July price rises
NTB/The Local - [email protected]
Published: 13 Aug, 2014 CET.
Updated: Wed 13 Aug 2014 11:36 CET
Norwegian meat producers and supermarket chains are locked in debate over who is responsible for the sudden increase of food prices across the country in July.
The Norwegian Meat and Poultry Association (KLF), representing meat producers, believe the sudden increase in prices cannot be only explained by an increase in the acquisition prices of the food store chains.
Bjørn-Ole Juul-Hansen, administrative director of KLF, said to “Nationen”: “Nothing of what I hear from our offices indicated our members having negotiated a price on their groceries - which they sell on to the convenient store chains - that would be equivalent to such a sudden increase in prices. The price of meat always increase from June to July because of agricultural agreements, but not as much as this.” Juul-Hansen argues that supermarket chains turned up the prices on a range of meat products that until now has held an artificially low price. But “NorgesGruppen”, the largest convenient store chain in Norway, believe the increase in prices lie with the meat producers. Per Roskifte, director of communication at “NorgesGruppen”, said: “We have had an increase in prices from our meat suppliers, which we in practice have added on to the products we sell in the stores.” According to Statistisk Sentralbyrå (SSB) the price of meat increased by 3.4 percent from June to July. The price for supermarket groceries in total increased by 3.1 percent. On Monday, Minister of Agriculture and Food, Sylvi Listhaug, called supermarket representatives to a meeting to investigate why food prices increased so much in July. It is still unknown when the meeting is going to take place.
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The Norwegian Meat and Poultry Association (KLF), representing meat producers, believe the sudden increase in prices cannot be only explained by an increase in the acquisition prices of the food store chains.
Bjørn-Ole Juul-Hansen, administrative director of KLF, said to “Nationen”: “Nothing of what I hear from our offices indicated our members having negotiated a price on their groceries - which they sell on to the convenient store chains - that would be equivalent to such a sudden increase in prices. The price of meat always increase from June to July because of agricultural agreements, but not as much as this.”
Juul-Hansen argues that supermarket chains turned up the prices on a range of meat products that until now has held an artificially low price. But “NorgesGruppen”, the largest convenient store chain in Norway, believe the increase in prices lie with the meat producers.
Per Roskifte, director of communication at “NorgesGruppen”, said: “We have had an increase in prices from our meat suppliers, which we in practice have added on to the products we sell in the stores.”
According to Statistisk Sentralbyrå (SSB) the price of meat increased by 3.4 percent from June to July. The price for supermarket groceries in total increased by 3.1 percent.
On Monday, Minister of Agriculture and Food, Sylvi Listhaug, called supermarket representatives to a meeting to investigate why food prices increased so much in July. It is still unknown when the meeting is going to take place.
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