Fine Gael Survey Shows Food Prices Increased By 73% In Last Four Years

Fine Gael's Spokesperson on Agriculture and Food, Denis Naughten, T.D., said that the cost of an average basket of groceries had increased by 73% in the last four years.

"Fine Gael has carried out a series of price surveys on the same shopping basket of beef, milk, eggs and a range of vegetables each year since 2004. 

"Those figures show an alarming increase in the cost of this basic basket of food with an overall increase of 73% between 2004 and 2007. 

"There was a dramatic increase between 2006 and 2007 when the shopper's bill increased by 36% in that year alone.

"Rising food prices have many contributing factors but our figures show that one cause Irish shoppers can rule out is rising producer prices. 

"The price which the farmer received for the same basket of goods was as much as 162% less than the price the shopper paid for the same basket of goods. 

"Furthermore the gap between the farmer's price and the consumer's price increased by 85% over the four year period showing that farmers are certainly not benefiting from higher food prices."

"Shoppers need to know why they are not getting a better deal and farmers deserve to know why they are not getting a fair price. Somebody is making huge profits from the Irish food market at the expense of both shoppers and farmers with the consequence that quality Irish food is being undermined and farmers are at risk of going out of business," he concluded.