Fresh agricultural produce is getting more expensive, in particular fruits and vegetables. This trend has been steadily increasing since April.

While the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.5% in April, the index for fresh agricultural produce rose over twice that amount.
 
Excluding fruits and vegetables, food prices did not rise at all, while fruit and vegetable prices rose 3.5%.

The biggest increases were for a few vegetables such as red peppers, whose price rose 70% compared to the same season last year.

Another extreme rise was for zucchini, which rose by 165%. The price for strawberries also rose by 40%.

The Agriculture Ministry explained that the April increases were a result of that month's extreme weather, which cut down on supplies.

The prices of fresh produce rose 6.5% since the beginning of the year, compared to an 0.5% rise for the overall CPI in the same period.