Some Turkish supermarkets have decided to stop selling aubergines and peppers after prices almost tripled in recent months, the Hürriyet newspaper said.
Turkey Retailers Federation Chairman Mustafa Altunbilek told Hürriyet the decision was temporary one and the vegetables might still be made available in regions with above average purchasing power. The prices of aubergines and peppers, both staples of Turkish cuisine, have reached around 20 liras ($ 3.80) per kg.
While prices normally go up in winter, the newspaper quoted the head of a vegetable wholesalers’ association in the southern province of Antalya, a key fruit and vegetable producing area, as saying supermarkets had decided to stop selling aubergines and peppers for fear of angering consumers and ministers who have railed against price rises as the country battles 20 percent inflation.
Authorities have started legal proceedings against some food markets for over-charging and against wholesalers accused of hoarding goods such as onions and tomatoes.