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Peppers lead eye- watering food price rises

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Peppers lead eye- watering food price rises
Photo: DPA

Peppers are almost 50 percent more expensive in Germany than they were a year ago – an indicator of the country's steep food inflation rate. Economists are blaming this year's unusually bad weather.

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Behind peppers, which on average cost 48 percent more than last July, came potatoes which cost 44 percent more. Butter prices are up by nearly 31 percent, fruit by 11 percent – apples being the exception at 22 percent – and UHT milk by just over 18 percent.

On average, food now costs 5.7 percent more than it did in July 2012. This is the steepest increase for five years. It is only comparable to September 2008, when there was a 6.5 percent increase in prices from the previous year.

“The cold winter has presumably pushed food prices further up, as well as floods in part of Germany,” said Christian Schulz, an economist at Berenberg Bank. Bad harvests and fluctuations in global food markets were also likely factors. As these issues level out inflation may well fall again, said Schulz.

The unusually strong food price inflation is driving the overall annual inflation rate – rising from 1.8 percent in June to 1.9 percent in July.

DPA/The Local/jcw

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