The season of greens has begun, and the markets of the Capital are full of nettles, stevia or loboda. However, this year the prices are very high, and a kilogram of nettles ended up costing more than a kilogram of meat. Sellers say the price is a result of the hard work they put in, but buyers disagree.
Market stalls in Bucharest are full of seasonal greens. A kilogram of nettles costs between 20 and 30 lei, more than a kilogram of veal breast or pork chop.
Nettles are also sold per hundred grams, per bag, for 5 lei. The sellers say they have their reasons for keeping the price.
“It’s very hard, to bend over N times to make a bag. (no. It lasts) an hour or so. From us in the forest, from Târgovişte”says Cristian Tudose, producer.
What are the prices of greens in the markets
Spinach is sold at prices between 6 and 10 lei, and salad costs between 3 and 5 lei. If last year you could still find green onions or garlic in the markets for one leu, now the price has doubled.
The connection of loboda, stevia and leurda also costs two lei. “They increased by at least 50 money, 1 leu for each product”says a producer.
“I bought 1 kg of nettles for 25 lei. Three lettuces, two bunches of green onions, two bunches of green garlic and two bunches of stevia. I paid 50 lei for all these products”says Florentina Lazar, Observer reporter.
Customer reaction: “You better not eat during fasting”
Many Romanians are dissatisfied when they see the prices much too high, especially for those with small pensions, who cannot afford to take so much money out of their pockets.
“It’s better not to eat during fasting, than to eat greens. Everything went crazy, onions, tomatoes… A kilogram of meat”complains a customer. “We also came on Sunday, but we didn’t buy anything, because we couldn’t afford it. Everything is expensive, green onions, absolutely everything, exaggerated in relation to pensions and salaries”says a Romanian who has a pension of 1,500 lei.
For their part, the small farmers defend their prices – they claim that this year they had higher production costs. The Minister of Agriculture does not comment on the prices of greens. “The Minister of Agriculture and the Ministry do not make the price. There are prices in respect of work”said Petre Daea, Minister of Agriculture.
Small farmers believe that the prices of greens will decrease after Easter, when the fast is over and the demand will not be so high.
