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The crisis becomes the reason for food production prices in Greece to fall and final customer prices to increase. Based on data by the European Commission production prices in Greece during October 2009 are lower than the ones in 2008 and in 2007. In comparison to last year, wheat price has fallen with 27%-30%, corn – 13%, pork – 14% and olive oil – 14.5%.

Ridiculous is the fact that when production prices are going down, consumer prices do not remain the same but they even increase. According to the Greek Statistics Services, from the beginning of the year until now the price of bread has increased with about 0.33%, rice – 1.92%, flour – 0.67%, pork – 0.14%, fish – 2.63% and coffee – 2.38%.

Except for the ratio production price- sale price, Greece is among the most expensive countries in Europe in regards to food products. It is the country with the most expensive rice – the price is on average €4.26 per kilo, which makes it more expensive than in Luxemburg. Olive oil is sold for €5.70 per liter and in Italy the price is only €3.80. Chicken meat costs €3.63 per kilo, which is the fourth highest price in the EU and flour is sold for €1.31, which is the highest price in the EU.

Experts believe that the reason for this ridiculous situation is hidden in the monopolization of the food industry branches of some companies, which does not allow competition actions from other firms. Pasta producers in Greece are only Misko-Barilla and Melissa Kikizas, which divide between themselves 80% of the local market turnover.

Dairy products producers Vivartia, Friesland and Olympos hold about 60% of the market turnover and coffee producers Nescafe, Sara Lee and Kraft split between themselves almost the whole turnover of the market. One of the new government’s priorities is to exercise prophylactic control over producer companies and to issue a program, which will present a plan for antimonopoly policy. For now, this plan is only a plan.