Chamber of Agronomists accuses wholesalers' association of driving up fruit and vegetable prices

The Chamber of Agronomists of the Cyprus Turkish Association of Mechanical Engineers (KTMMOB) stated that high fruit and vegetable prices are caused by the practices of the KIBSEM wholesalers' association, which issues double price lists three times a week: low for payments to farmers and high for store sales. This leads to speculative markups, ultimately borne by consumers.

Chamber President Erkut Ulucam, in a written statement, rejected KIBSEM's arguments blaming price increases on producers pressuring the Ministry of Agriculture to introduce import quotas. According to him, this is a distortion of facts: the real cause is wholesalers’ double pricing. "For example, yellow beans are listed at 180–200 TL, sold in stores for 200 TL, while the farmer receives only 138 TL after commission and taxes. This 20 TL difference directly translates into higher prices for the buyer," Ulucam explained.

He also questioned: "If wholesalers claim that free imports will lower prices, why don’t they reduce the huge markups on already approved imported goods?" Ulucam noted that KIBSEM members annually import $20 million worth of fruits and vegetables and set arbitrary retail prices. Additionally, the association opposes the introduction of a Market Law that could make the processes transparent.

Experts emphasize that without regulation and oversight, such practices exacerbate economic problems in Northern Cyprus, where inflation and rising food prices already impact family budgets. The Chamber calls on authorities to intervene and implement a law to protect the interests of farmers and consumers.