Fast-rising meat and vegetable prices have made the meals hard to afford
11 January 2024 - 17:25
byHoracio Soria
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
A seller holds a list with new prices in a supermarket in Buenos Aires, Argentina, December 13 2023. Picture: AGUSTIN MARCARIAN/REUTERS
Buenos Aires — Argentinian retiree Susana Barrio says she no longer invites her friends over for the traditional asado barbecue, long a key part of social life in the South American farming nation. Fast-rising meat and vegetable prices have made the meals hard to afford.
Inflation in the country is likely to have topped 200% in 2023, one of the highest levels in the world. Grocery costs rose particularly fast, hitting people’s wallets as salaries and pensions have failed to keep pace.
“We’ve had to eliminate things that made life a little brighter,” Barrio, 79, said. “That joy it gave me to invite my friends for a barbecue, which is typical here, now that’s impossible.”
Inflation was likely to have been about 28% in December, with food prices up even more after a sharp devaluation of the peso currency, a Reuters poll of analysts showed. Official data is still to be released.
While high inflation has dogged Argentina for years, the rate of price increases is now at the highest level since the start of the 1990s, when the country was emerging from a period of hyperinflation.
“You totally lose track of prices,” said Guillermo Cabral, a 60-year-old owner of a butchery in Buenos Aires, who said he had once mistakenly told a customer the price for some meat cuts was 35,000 pesos ($43) instead of 15,000 pesos. “The customer took out the money to pay it all the same.”
President Javier Milei, a political outsider who rode to power on the back of voter anger at the worsening economic situation, is looking to employ tough austerity measures to bring down inflation, reduce a deep fiscal deficit and rebuild government coffers.
But Milei, who has been in office a month, has warned it will take time and that things could get worse before they get better. Many Argentines are further tightening their belts, with two-fifths already in poverty.
“Nothing is cheap,” said Graciela Bravo, a 65-year-old retiree, who said she now carefully counted how many potatoes she bought. “Before you would purchase by the kilo, now I get three potatoes or four potatoes so they don’t spoil.”
Alejandro Grossi, 49, a lawyer, said he was wearily used to rising prices after years of inflation. “I buy fewer things for myself than I would like. You adapt,” he said. “It’s like we’re used to it, it’s already something so natural here: inflation and changing prices.”
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Argentinians say bye-bye to costly braais
Fast-rising meat and vegetable prices have made the meals hard to afford
Buenos Aires — Argentinian retiree Susana Barrio says she no longer invites her friends over for the traditional asado barbecue, long a key part of social life in the South American farming nation. Fast-rising meat and vegetable prices have made the meals hard to afford.
Inflation in the country is likely to have topped 200% in 2023, one of the highest levels in the world. Grocery costs rose particularly fast, hitting people’s wallets as salaries and pensions have failed to keep pace.
“We’ve had to eliminate things that made life a little brighter,” Barrio, 79, said. “That joy it gave me to invite my friends for a barbecue, which is typical here, now that’s impossible.”
Inflation was likely to have been about 28% in December, with food prices up even more after a sharp devaluation of the peso currency, a Reuters poll of analysts showed. Official data is still to be released.
While high inflation has dogged Argentina for years, the rate of price increases is now at the highest level since the start of the 1990s, when the country was emerging from a period of hyperinflation.
“You totally lose track of prices,” said Guillermo Cabral, a 60-year-old owner of a butchery in Buenos Aires, who said he had once mistakenly told a customer the price for some meat cuts was 35,000 pesos ($43) instead of 15,000 pesos. “The customer took out the money to pay it all the same.”
President Javier Milei, a political outsider who rode to power on the back of voter anger at the worsening economic situation, is looking to employ tough austerity measures to bring down inflation, reduce a deep fiscal deficit and rebuild government coffers.
But Milei, who has been in office a month, has warned it will take time and that things could get worse before they get better. Many Argentines are further tightening their belts, with two-fifths already in poverty.
“Nothing is cheap,” said Graciela Bravo, a 65-year-old retiree, who said she now carefully counted how many potatoes she bought. “Before you would purchase by the kilo, now I get three potatoes or four potatoes so they don’t spoil.”
Alejandro Grossi, 49, a lawyer, said he was wearily used to rising prices after years of inflation. “I buy fewer things for myself than I would like. You adapt,” he said. “It’s like we’re used to it, it’s already something so natural here: inflation and changing prices.”
Reuters
Argentina’s Milei signs decree to unfetter exports and deregulate economy
Argentina peso devalued over 50% in ‘tough pill’ measures to rescue economy
Javier Milei takes office warning Argentina an economic shock is unavoidable
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Related Articles
TRISTEN TAYLOR: Endorsement of Ethiopia’s Abiy shows Ramaphosa is no democrat
Argentina’s Milei likely to temper anti-Chinese rhetoric
Argentina’s Milei taps moderate ex-central banker to fix the economy
LYAL WHITE: The real Javier Milei
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.