Lemon, tomato, oil and coffee with the strongest price increases in April

2026-06-15 15:10:46, Ekonomi CNA

Seasonal changes, fluctuations in production and imports, along with the effects of the war in Iran, have led to significant movements in the prices of basic food basket products and fuels in April.

According to INSTAT's price list for the main items of the basket in April, the market faced a sharp increase in the price of fresh seasonal produce and fuels, a decrease in canned food prices, while cereals and dairy products have remained stable.

Lemon, tomato, oil, coffee, record growth in April

Lemon was the product with the largest price increase in April by about 41.6%, reaching 212.4 lek, from 150 lek in April 2025.

After lemon, tomato was the product with the strongest growth in April 2026 with 20.1%, now selling for 210.4 lek per kilogram from 175.2 lek in April of the previous year, as a result of the damage caused by spring frosts and floods.

In the industrial products sector, oil prices rose 18.6%, or 32.2 lek per liter, in April. A liter of oil sold for an average of 205.7 lek last month, a move that is expected to have a knock-on effect on transportation and other products.

This increase was accompanied by a 17.3% increase in other fuels. Fuel prices increased as a result of the war in Iran, which led to an increase in the value of diesel in international markets.

Likewise, a double-digit increase of 12.0% has also affected ground coffee, where a 100-gram package reached 162.3 lekë in April 2026, while the price of wine increased by 11%.

Canned goods, sugar and potatoes with the biggest decline

In addition to the extreme increase in some items, family budgets were eased by price reductions in some industrial products.

According to the INSTAT price list, the largest percentage drop was recorded by canned goods (per 100 grams), which decreased by 18.8%, trading on average at 168.4 lek. Sugar, a basic product, has recorded a decrease of 19.6%, falling to 89.8 lek per kilogram in April 2026, from 111.7 lek in April of the previous year.

Due to overproduction in Europe and Germany, potatoes in particular have suffered a significant annual price drop of 18.9% in April, stabilizing at 83.5 lek per kilogram, followed by dried onions, which have fallen by 13.5% and are currently traded for 81.3 lek per kilogram.

Sustainable grains and dairy

Beyond these extreme ups and downs, dough products have shown high stability or slight declines, with bread falling by only 0.7%, flour by 3.6%, and pasta by 2.3%.

A similar situation is also present in dairies, where milk has remained almost unchanged with an increase of 0.4%, while somewhat more moderate but significant increases have been observed in cottage cheese with 7.1% and natural yogurt with 5.6%. Also, meat products have not undergone any noticeable changes./Monitor