Green Monday feast to cost 4% more

Basic items for the Green Monday feast, when people in Cyprus start their fasting with greens, vegetables, salads and grilled molluscs, will cost about 4% more this year, according to a market survey by the Consumer Protection Service.

The survey of 70 most common items, sampled at 77 large and small supermarkets, as well as fruit markets, found a mixed range in prices of fruit and vegetables, with fresh potatoes on average 44% more expensive, from 72c a kilo last year to EUR 1.03 this year.

Jafa oranges have gone up 35% from EUR 1.44 a kilo in 2023 to EUR 1.93 this year, while Merlin oranges are 12% more expensive, from EUR 1.61 to EUR 1.80. Green leaves are up 16% or 5c more than last year, rising from 32c to 37c a bunch, while mushrooms increased 13% from EUR 3.78 to EUR 4.27 a kilo.

On the other hand, the traditional favourites seem to be cheaper this year, with celery roots down 40% from EUR 1.95 to EUR 1.17, khol rabi (kouloumbra) down 53% from EUR 1.77 to 84c a kilo, greenhouse cucumbers are 40% cheaper at EUR 1.99 a kilo from EUR 3.31 last year, white artichokes are 47% less at EUR 1.36 from EUR 2.36, while Maltese artichokes are 42% down from EUR 2.30 to EUR 1.30 a kilo, and tomatoes are 7% cheaper at EUR 2.23 (EUR 2.41 last year).

The basket of Green Monday items includes 13 fruit and vegetables, 10 different types of halva (made from tahini or sesame flour), 20 salads and dips, local black olives and ‘tsakistes’ green olives, 15 types of molluscs (octopus, kalamari, squid, prawns), six bakery items (koulouri, lagana bread, olive bread), two ‘veteran’ wines (Keo Othello and Afames 62) and two different charcoal brands in 5kg bags.

The price changes of halvas ranged from 15% to +5%, salads, dips and relishes were generally more expensive this year, with one tahini brand 34% pricier, a mustard pickle (piccalilli) 30% more expensive and a Greek aubergine salad costing 48% more this year.

Some seafood items were frozen and others were fresh. The price of Pacific octopus was on average 18% higher at EUR 6.49 (EUR 5.50 last year), cleaned cuttlefish (soupia) was found to be 22% more expensive at EUR 9.46 for 800gr (from EUR 7.76), while another brand was 21% cheaper at EUR 6.80 (EUR 8.64).

Following the European trend, black Cyprus olives were on average 8% more expensive at EUR 5.16 a kilo (EUR 4.76), while the ‘cracked’ green tsakistes were found to be 6% dearer at EUR 3.87 (EUR 3.65).