(Finance) – In contrast to the general trend of the‘inflation i still go up prices food which they register to the consumption an average increase of 6.3% (compared to + 5.8% in March) due to the conflict in Ukraine with a disruptive effect on business activity and on consumer tables. This is what the Coldiretti based on Istat inflation data in April.
“Among the seasonal products – underlines Coldiretti – consumer prices increase by 7.8% for fruit and 12% those of vegetables but in the fields and in the stables there is a deep crisis due to the record increases in production costs “.” Action must be taken to contain the expensive power and production costs with immediate interventions to save companies and stables and structural to plan the future “, said the president of Coldiretti Ettore Prandini underlining that “it is necessary to work immediately for supply chain agreements between agricultural and industrial companies with precise qualitative and quantitative objectives and fair prices that never fall below production costs as required by the new law to combat unfair practices and speculation”.
“In recent months, the companies of the distribution have absorbed part of the increases to protect families and consumption, supporting primary supply chains of Made in Italy. This commitment has meant that, to date, the inflationary figure of the shopping cart recorded in our stores is about 2 percentage points lower than the figure detected by Istat – he explained Carlo Alberto ButtarelliDirector of Studies and Relations with the Supply Chain of Federdistribuzione. “This important effort by companies responds to growing concern that the uncertainty generated by the generalized increase in prices, aggravated by the war in Ukraine, risks having serious recessive effects on consumption. From the survey we asked Ipsos, in fact, 75% of Italians say they are worried about the keeping of their family budget and 9 out of 10 will implement actions to contain expensesincluding the cut in consumption in 39% of cases “.
“Retail prices recorded the most sustained growth since 1991, and the rally in the price lists is the strongest in the last 30 years – said the president. Codacons, Charles Rienzi – An inflation of 6.2% translates into a sting equal to +2,474 euros per year for a household with two children, and +1,905 euros for the “typical” family, and the slowdown recorded in April is only an optical illusion: the The decrease compared to the March figure is in fact due solely to the reduction in electricity and gas bills ordered by Arera, but all other goods and services, from food to transport, continue to record very strong increases on an annual basis ”. “Such high inflation is unsustainable for families Italians, and will inevitably have repercussions on purchasing power and on consumption of citizens – added Rienzi – For this reason the Government must extend the cut in excise duties on fuels, to prevent the increase in the price lists at the pump from having new negative effects on retail prices ”.
“The tsunami that hit families continues its devastating action, even if the government’s intervention against the expensive fuels and the dear bills, which since 1 April, according to the data of Arera relating to the typical family, have fallen by 10.2% for electricity and 10% for gas, was not entirely in vain, although insufficient, and slightly mitigated the catastrophe. Unfortunately, however, as we had widely predicted, the increases in energy prices, without which inflation would be 2.9% and not 6.2%, have been transferred to foodstuffs and the shopping cart, seriously and heavily affecting on compulsory daily purchases “, he stressed Massimiliano Donapresident ofNational Consumers Union.
“We are in the presence of one emergency which confirms all the reports on price increases launched by Assoutenti in recent weeks – said the president Furio Truzzi – We fear that, in addition to the Ukraine effect, there are speculative phenomena in Italy that seriously damage families. The government cannot stand by and, in the face of this crisis situation, must adopt extraordinary measures, starting with administered prices for basic necessities such as food that families cannot do without “.