Extra virgin olive oil has become more expensive by almost 70% on average in supermarkets in the last year

Throughout the year, the price of certain oils has risen by up to more than 150%.

MADRID, 10 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Extra virgin olive oil has become more expensive on average by 69.3% in supermarkets throughout 2023, according to data from the study carried out by Facua-Consumidores en Acción on 18 brands on sale in Spanish supermarkets.

Specifically, the consumer organization points out that this analysis shows that, contrary to the argument put forward by manufacturers and supermarket chains, the increases are not solely the result of the increase in the price of the product at origin. Thus, in the last year, price increases at points of sale represent up to 2.54 euros per liter more than at origin.

According to Facua's analysis, the greatest increase in extra virgin olive oils has been detected in Carrefour, with an average of 75.8% among the 12 products analyzed, followed by Alcampo with an increase of 73.9% among the 15 oils. collected in this analysis and Eroski, which presents an average increase of 71.3% among a sample of seven products.

In Hipercor, the increase detected by the organization during the last year has been 69.2% among a selection of 12 extra virgin oils, while in Dia it was 68.2% on a sample of 11 products. In Mercadona, the average increase in price has been 57.3% for the four items included in this study.

In this way and taking into account the extra virgin olive oils contemplated in this study, the most pronounced increase during the last year has been detected in the liter of Coosur Hojiblanca extra virgin brand in Eroski, which increased its price by 154.8% , going from the offer of 5.69 euros in January 2023 to 14.50 euros in January 2024.

The second biggest increase was recorded in the five-liter bottle of Carbonell extra virgin in Alcampo, which has gone from 25.72 to 60.68 euros in one year, which is 136% more expensive, while in third place there was an increase of 114.2% in the liter of Coosur Hojiblanca brand extra virgin also on sale in Alcampo, which went from selling for 5.70 euros at the beginning of the year to currently costing 12.21 euros, which is 6, 51 euros per liter more expensive.

In this study, 18 different brands have been taken into account, such as Hacendado, Casa Juncal, Coosur, La Española, Dcoop, Hojiblanca, Carbonell, Oro de Genave, Jaencoop, Almazara del Olivar, Oleoestepa, El Corte Inglés, Alcampo, Maestros de Hojiblanca , Koipe, Eroski, Ybarra, Carrefour that is for sale in Mercadona, Dia, Hipercor, Alcampo, Eroski and Carrefour.

Following the results of this report, Facua has once again called on the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030, directed by Pablo Bustinduy, to open an investigation into the "illegal increases in profit margins" that are presumably occurring both in the olive oil as in many other foods affected by the VAT reduction, since the royal decree-law that establishes this measure, extended until mid-2024, prohibits increases in margins.

In this way, the analysis indicates that extra virgin olive oil has risen during 2023 to 2.54 euros per liter before taxes. Thus, the average price of a liter of extra virgin olive oil in the supermarkets surveyed has gone from 6.91 euros the first month of 2023 to 12 euros in January 2024.

For its part, the average price per liter at origin, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has gone from 4.91 euros in the first week of January 2023 to 7.45 euros in the week from 10 to 2023. December 17, 2023 (VAT not included), according to the latest published data.

Facua emphasizes that taking these figures into account, the average increase in extra virgin olive oil in a one-liter plastic bottle has been 73.6% during the last year (69.3% if all formats are taken into account). , while the increase that has occurred at origin has been 51.7%.

In this way, the increase in the price that this product has registered during 2023 in supermarkets is up to 22% greater than what has been paid to the farmer at origin.