This Christmas there will be no need to spend part of the thirteenth on the holiday season. For gifts yes, perhaps, but not for dinners, lunches and everything related to food preparation. Especially for lovers of meat and sweets, in fact, a cheaper Christmas is expected, with the fall in wholesale meat prices (-1% compared to a year ago overall, but with a peak of -14,4% for pork) and eggs (-24,5%), as well as than butter (-26,5%) and other products derived from milk (-11%). On the other hand, rice should be avoided for no reason in the world: it costs 5,6% more than in October and even 30% more than a year ago.
This is what emerges from the wholesale price index elaborated by Unioncamere and BMTI according to which the wide market offer helps to keep the prices of pork products low.
So good news for those who love meat at the table and for those who prefer butter to olive oil in the kitchen, which marks a drop of 26,5% on an annual basis (-9,4% compared to the previous month). Thanks to the negative estimates on Italian production, however, the "yellow gold" continues its upward trend with a 7,1% surge in olive oil prices in November compared to October. While with the collapse of eggs (-24,5% in November 2018 against November 2017) there could also be some savings on the preparation of desserts christmas.
In more detail in the meat sector, the growth of wholesale meat prices has stopped of poultry observed in October. In fact, substantial stability prevailed in November for chicken meat and turkey meat. On an annual basis, however, against the increase in the price of chicken meat (+3,8%), the variation for turkey remains negative (-4,1%). Again in the white meat segment, in line with the typical trend of the period, rabbit meat recorded a further monthly increase (+4,7%), albeit less accentuated than in October. Among red meats, wholesale prices almost unchanged in November for beef but still higher than a year ago (+3,7%).
In the dairy sector, the wholesale prices of long-aged cheeses experienced further growth in November (+3% on a monthly basis), under the pressure of the increases in the price lists of Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano. An increase that can also be seen in comparison with last year (+4,4%). For Parmesan, in particular, the increases observed since last September have led the current values to levels that were last recorded in the market at the beginning of 2012. Going back up the supply chain, the price list trend also continues to rise of spot milk, which grew by +5,7% in November. It should be noted that, driven by the further monthly increase (the fourth consecutive), current prices are once again higher than last year (+7,4%).
