Almost three weeks separate us from the Easter holidays, but Romanians no longer flock to shop as they did in the past years. That's because the prices in stores have exploded, and analysts say that the classic price increases around the holidays of 10-15% are still to come. They forecast that at Easter Romanians will buy by the piece: a piece of lamb, 100 grams of pasca or cozonac, experts say
lamb meat, too expensive for Romanians' pockets. Photo source: archive
Vasile lives in Stănești commune, Argeș county, and raises 70 sheep.
“We have no way to grow more, because only my wife and I take care of them. We both also go to work, we don't have time for more. It's just a small family business. I always wanted to have them, I like them, they are very dear to me“, the farmer confessed to us. This year, Vasile put 50 lambs on sale. For now, however, the world is not really buying. “In two weeks I sold only 15 pieces. It's little. I hope to have more customers before Easter that week. For now, sales are sluggish“, he admitted. But there is no cause for concern, because it has been like this every year: sales have not gone well from the very beginning. “But, towards the end, I sold everything”.
This year the farmer faces another problem. “My ewes calved late, after February 20th. But we have been careful with the food and we have fairly large lambs. I'm hoping to average 15 pounds per carcass before the holidays“, the man told us. As for prices, Vasile sells lamb carcasses for 40 lei per kilogram. “Last year I gave it for 38 lei. That's the only way we sell. To the case. I don't give live lambs, but if someone specifically asked, I would probably sell for 24 lei“. The price reflects all the work and all the expenses over the year. “Animal feed costs a lot. For example, labor must be paid for hay collected. Someone has to cut it. Then it has to be picked, made into bales, transported… then it costs us the possible treatments and medicines, the feed, the care of the animals“, he continues.
Shopping cart pressure
They are low prices, if we think about the farmers' expenses, but high prices if we look at the increasingly empty pockets of the Romanians who will have bitter holidays this year. “It's a year where falling purchasing power is putting heavy pressure on the consumer basket, so the Easter holidays will be the saddest financially in years“, economic analyst Adrian Negrescu said for “Adevărul”.
Indeed, the farmer also admitted that although he has customers who have crossed his threshold year after year, it is quite possible that many of them will give up shopping. “I don't go to sell my lambs in the market. I sell directly from my yard. As for the customers, most of them are from the city. And many are old customers, whom they have been serving for years“. The man hopes to make a good sale, although he admits that people don't have the money they once had. “Let's hope they come back“, Vasile told us.
Bought directly from the farmers' gate, the lamb carcass now sells for around 40 lei per kilogram. The economic analyst Adrian Negrescu explained to us that, most likely, we will stay with these prices. “Purchasing power has fallen greatly, and speculators would practically have no place to raise prices, as it is possible to remain with unsold goods. Inflation in Romania, double in value compared to the average of the European Union and the highest inflation in Europe for the third month in a row, burdens people's incomes. From this perspective, even if speculators try to take advantage of the timing of the Easter holiday frenzy, they will likely fail to do so. So I don't expect significant price increases for Easter, maximum 10-15% compared to normal prices, because even then prices have reached unbearable levels for the majority of the population“, explained the specialist.
He is of the opinion that this year we will have 100 grams of Easter celebrations, most likely. “Romanians will buy by the piece. A piece of lamb, 100 grams of pasture, cozonac because many of them cannot afford to have a rich meal like a few years ago, when we did not have the inflation we are facing at the moment. The vast majority of the population will suffer financially from these holidays. It will be an Easter where we will probably have to cut back on many of the classic purchases“, the expert analyzed the situation.
Moreover, he says, this Easter year many Romanians will no longer cook the traditional dishes at home, but will buy ready-made food just for the sake of it. “Because to prepare traditional food at home, you have to buy a lot of ingredients, which also cost money. That, in addition to the lamb itself. And it is no longer profitable“, says the specialist. “We are talking about a financial effort that most Romanians can no longer afford“.
The Popăuți Research and Development Station in Botoşani County has announced that it is selling approximately 600 lambs of meat breeds during the Easter holidays. According to the research institution, a 10% surcharge was applied to the price. Total: 22.03 lei/kg of live lamb. “Any other higher price means speculation, lower means losses among farmers“, said the director of the research unit, Ionică Nechifor.
At the moment, in the markets of Bucharest and the country, a kilogram of leg of lamb reaches 30-35 lei. In large chain stores, the prices are even more inflated: the leg costs up to 60 lei per kilogram, the hind quarter with head costs between 50 and 60 lei per kilogram, and if we talk about organs, the price jumps by 50 lei.
The Minister of Agriculture believes in the honesty of farmers
The Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, claimed last month that, on the Easter holidays, farmers will sell lamb at a “decent price”, which will cover their expenses and bring them “a small profit”. “I cannot give an estimated price, because I want it to be a fair market for the sale of lamb meat during the Easter Holidays“, he declared in a televised intervention. “From the discussions I had with the farmers, they told me very clearly that they will have a decent price so that they can cover their expenses and, of course, make a small profit, because everyone works for this WORK“. The Minister of Agriculture specified that, last year, the kilogram of lamb meat “was around 25 lei”. Asked if there will be more this year, the Minister of Agriculture replied: “I don't think it will be. I am sure that the Romanian farmers will sell at the right price. I cannot influence the market. If, in my capacity as a minister, I give a price, I will surely influence the market. I don't want to do this. I am sure that the farmers will have a fair price for Romanians for lamb meat“, added Florin Barbu.
