The Consumer Price Observatory of Castilla-La Mancha, promoted by the Ministry of Health of the Board of Communities and prepared by the Faculty of Social Sciences of Cuenca along with the Knowledge Transfer Unit 'Open Innovation' of the University of Castilla-La Mancha, in collaboration with CAVE-CLM, has released the August report, in which the evolution of prices recorded during the month of July is examined.
According to the Board in a press release, the data reflects a positive behavior in a good part of the studied items, especially in fruits, vegetables, and other foods linked to summer. The development of the harvesting campaigns is once again reflected in the consumer's pocket, with significant cuts in several fresh products that are highly demanded in the summer season.
Within the section of fruits and vegetables, the Canary banana is the one that reduces its price the most, with a drop of 13.3%, followed by seedless green grapes (-12.9%) and zucchini (-11.9%). There are also declines in lemon (-5.3%) and yellow onion (-4.1%). In contrast, conference pears (+7.9%) and green beans (+6.6%) become more expensive, while salad tomatoes rise by nearly 5%.
The document also emphasizes the convenience of comparing prices between different stores. Items like oranges or apples, although they maintain a very similar average price to the previous month, show strong disparities between chains, reaching in certain cases to almost double the amount depending on the chosen supermarket.
In the meat section, a shift is observed compared to the pattern of the previous month. With the exception of chicken hindquarters, which decrease by 1.4%, moderate increases predominate. Pork ribs (+4.7%) and cooked ham (+3.5%) stand out. Precisely, pork ribs and chicken hindquarters continue to be among the products with the greatest price differences between establishments.
Fish, on the other hand, show a more advantageous scenario for the consumer. Salmon once again cuts its price by 7.8% and has now seen three consecutive months of declines. Sardines also drop by just over 3%, while anchovies, characterized by strong monthly variations linked to the season and the volume of catches, slightly increase their cost.
In the group of other foods, a certain stability also predominates. The main exception is the distributor brand sunflower oil, whose price rises by 5.7%, while pistachios record the most significant drop, close to 3%. Olive oil maintains a positive trend, with decreases in both manufacturer brands and distributor brands.
The behavior of typically summer products is particularly striking. In the second month of monitoring this category, all analyzed items reduce their prices as the harvest campaign progresses. The piel de sapo melon records a cut of over 30%, while yellow peaches and shredded watermelon decrease by more than 10%.
Cleaning and household care products, for their part, remain in a range of high stability. The largest drop corresponds to shower gel (-3.2%), which continues to rank among the items with the most price differences depending on the point of sale.
The analysis is carried out in 36 supermarkets spread across the five provincial capitals of Castilla-La Mancha and Talavera de la Reina, taking as a reference a basic basket made up of 61 products. This ongoing monitoring allows for knowledge not only of the monthly variation in prices but also of the differences between establishments and the detection of possible trends that may impact the shopping basket of households in Castilla-La Mancha.
Overall, the data from July extend the favorable dynamics already observed in the previous month, with widespread decreases in numerous items and a particularly positive impact from the entry into the season of fruits and vegetables.
The Observatory will continue to monitor the evolution of this basic basket in the coming months and will pay special attention to those products likely to be affected by external factors and the situation of international markets.