Newsroom
If you’ve noticed pork prices creeping up lately, you’re not imagining things. But according to the head of Cyprus’ Retail Trade Association, Marios Antoniou, it has nothing to do with the upcoming launch of e-Kalathi, the state’s digital price comparison tool.
Speaking on SPOR FM 95.0’s “Diaspora News”, Antoniou set the record straight: pork prices have been steadily rising over the past 15 to 20 months due to higher costs in production, not because of retail pricing policies or new government initiatives.
“There’s been a lack of grain, labor shortages, and pricier raw materials,” Antoniou explained. “But these increases have mainly affected wholesale prices. Consumers haven’t been burdened.”
His comments come in response to a recent Phileleftheros article suggesting that retailers might be preemptively hiking pork prices ahead of the e-Kalathi platform rollout. The platform is meant to give shoppers a clearer picture of pricing across supermarkets, aiming to promote transparency and competition.
Antoniou pushed back on the idea, urging consumers to look at the broader context. “Big supermarket chains already have their prices listed on their websites. Anyone can compare,” he said, adding that what ends up at the butcher’s counter involves more than just the price per kilo, it includes processing, packaging, labor, and operational costs.
As for how the Easter season went for retailers? Antoniou called it a success. “It might not be Christmas, but for supermarkets and butchers, it was definitely a celebration,” he said, noting strong customer turnout and spending during the holiday period.
So while pork might be pricier these days, it's not about sneaky markups or digital price apps, it's about a global squeeze in the meat supply chain that’s been simmering for nearly two years.
