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Ammon News - Monthly food product price swings, both domestic and international, have drawn mixed reactions from Jordanians.

Food prices reached a 10-year high in 2021, rising by an average of 28 per cent compared with 2020, according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

The FAO added that the surge in the international prices of vegetable oils, sugar and cereals caused the increase in the index.

International food prices fell slightly in December, 2021, as international prices for vegetable oils and sugar significantly decreased.

“The ongoing global pandemic and ever more volatile climatic conditions leave little room for optimism about a return to more stable market conditions even in 2022,” the FAO website said.

While the Meat Price Index was “broadly stable” in December, it had increased 12.7 per cent throughout 2021.

The Vegetable Oil Price Index declined by 3.3 per cent in December, due to the lower global import demand, which may be linked to concerns over the rising COVID-19 cases.

Anas Mansour, a Jordanian, said on Saturday that he normally spends around JD250 per month on groceries, but since the pandemic started, he has been spending around JD50 more.

“Prices are constantly changing and people who usually shop for their homes are the ones who notice the change,” he said.

It is important to have a budget for groceries, particularly during this unprecedented period, said Suad Fadda, a mother of two. She noted that “lately coffee prices have considerably increased and the prices of chicken are ever changing”.

Waleed Ali, a grocery store owner, said that he had a feeling that food prices would go up during the pandemic.

The volatile food prices during this period have negatively impacted low-income households, he said.

“It is good news that global food prices have decreased a bit,” he added.

*jordantimes