Consumer association Facua forecasts a dramatic gap between what farmers receive and what shoppers pay in supermarkets. The study finds that in some staple foods the price at the retail counter can be up to 875 percent higher than the price paid to producers. Facua reached this conclusion after analyzing thirteen basic products, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, eggs, and sunflower oil.
One key takeaway from the study is the comparison between the producer price for a product and the price the consumer ultimately faces at the main supermarket chains operating in Spain. The goal is to highlight how much of the final price is absorbed along the supply chain and where margins grow, offering a clearer picture of who profits at each stage.
Thirteen products were examined. The origin prices were derived from or calculated using data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food through the General Directorate of Analysis, Coordination and Statistics for the first week of January 2024. Supermarket price data were collected on January 2, 3, 8, and 9, 2024, from leading chains in the country, including Mercadona, Dia, Alcampo, Eroski, Lidl, and Carrefour.
Facua has long pressed governments to adopt double labeling so consumers can see what farmers are earning for each item sold in supermarkets. The aim of double labeling is to reveal which companies inflate profit margins the most and which corporations contribute most to the higher costs faced by the primary sector by pushing prices upward.
Spanish families’ shopping list reveals rising meat and egg costs and falling fat and fruit costs
Price snapshots
Weight of lemons shows the origin price was 0.20 euro early January, while the average selling price is 1.79 euros per kilogram, marking 695 percent more at the point of sale and reaching 875 percent when the most expensive example is considered from Aldi and Lidl.
Brown lentils cost 0.76 euro per kilogram at the farm, but the average supermarket price sits around 2.81 euro per kilo, a 369 percent uplift. Packaged lentils under the Pardina label in certain stores push the gap to 596 percent, with La Asturiana appearing at Hipercor at 5.29 euro per kilo.
Fuji apples begin at 0.73 euro per kilo, while the average resale price is 2.54 euro, a 248 percent increase. In Hipercor, apples reach 3.95 euro per kilo, equating to a 441 percent rise over the farm price.
Onions cost 0.46 euro at origin but average 1.96 euro at checkout, a 326 percent difference. In Mercadona, the gap for sweet onions reaches about 430 percent.
The producer price for chickpeas is 0.60 euro per kilo, while shops charge about 2.43 euro per kilo, a 207 percent rise. The Luengo roasted chickpea package at Carrefour hits 4.05 euro per kilo, translating to a 412 percent gap.
Mushrooms fetch 1.83 euro per kilo at origin, yet shoppers pay about 5.83 euro per kilo, a 218 percent uplift. The largest divergence occurs in Alcampo and Hipercor, where mushrooms approach 7.96 euro per kilo, a 335 percent premium over origin.
Carrots show a farm price of 0.29 euro per kilo, with supermarkets averaging 1.06 euro, or a 265 percent difference. In Dia, a kilo can run about 1.19 euro, pushing the gap to around 310 percent.
Pears from the conference variety cost 0.75 euro per kilo to farmers, but retail prices sit around 2.24 euro per kilo, a 198 percent uplift. In Eroski’s Rincón de Soto line, the gap stands at 284 percent.
The golden apple hovers at 0.61 euro per kilo at origin, while the consumer average is 2.01 euro per kilo, a 229 percent increase. Hipercor’s price per kilo reaches 2.29 euro, marking a 275 percent premium against origin.
Sunflower oil pays farmers 0.96 euro per liter, but consumer prices average 2.00 euros per liter, an 108 percent rise. Bottles labeled Koipesol sold at Dia and Eroski and Coosol at Carrefour reach 2.59 euro per liter, a 324 percent uplift from origin.
Farmers receive 3.94 euro per kilo for strawberries, which are sold in supermarkets at 11.48 euro per kilo, translating to a 191 percent higher price at checkout. The highest price is found in Mercadona and Dia, where a 500-gram tray can run up to 5.99 euro, with a 204 percent difference from origin.
Potatoes sell at an average of 1.29 euro per kilo in stores, about 214 percent more than the farm price of 0.61 euro per kilo. Eggs, sized M, cost farmers around 1.53 euro per dozen, while supermarkets charge about 2.48 euro per dozen, a 62 percent premium. Free-range eggs branded Pazo de Vilane sold at Carrefour come in at 3.69 euro per dozen, a 141 percent difference from the origin price.