The prices of five of the most consumed fruits by Brazilians rose from 32% to 46% at the state-owned Ceagesp warehouse in the capital of São Paulo between April 2020 and 2022, according to data from the National Supply Company (Conab) .
The warehouse is the third largest wholesale food center in the world and the main one in the country.
The high of orange reached 46%, with a kilo traded at R$ 2.44 last month. Next are papaya (44%), watermelon (40%), apple (35%) and banana (32%). These increases far surpassed Brazilian inflation in the period — the IPCA rose 19.34%, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The executive director of the Brazilian Association of Exporters of Fruits and Derivatives (Abrafrutas), Eduardo Brandão , states that the price increase was due, in part, to Covid-19.
In the first year of the pandemic, many producers faced difficulties in selling their produce to food service and even retail, which disrupted some chains.
Source: abrafrutas.org