The cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri in June 2017 averaged 3.34 Gel, which is about 1.5% higher compared to June 2016 (year-on-year), and 1.5% lower compared to the previous month (May 2017).
According to the U.N. Food Agency, food prices increased by 7% compared to last year’s price level. FAO also reports increased cereal prices in June 2017, which is 4.2% above its May level. The main contributor for this increase is wheat. The price of wheat in the Black Sea market was 0.8% higher than in the previous month (May 2017), and 0.5 % higher year-on-year. The biggest increase is observed in U.S. wheat prices (13% compared to the previous month). This price increase is related to supply risk due to adverse weather conditions.
We did not observe this increase in wheat prices from Khachapuri Index data. According to our estimates, the price of flour (high grade) was 2.1% lower compared to the previous month, and 3.1% lower compared to last year’s level (June 2016). Experts in the field state that despite bad weather, the wheat harvest remained unaffected in Georgia, and they do not expect a wheat price increase. However, as long as a large share of wheat is imported in Georgia, the price of wheat might soon follow international prices and increase. If higher prices will remain in international wheat markets, the increased price will be transmitted into the Georgian market. According to ISET-PI’s research, seven months are needed for prices to transmit from international wheat to Georgian flour prices.
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June, 2021 | Khachapuri Index Increases by 8.8%
In June 2021, the average price of cooking one Imeretian khachapuri stood at 4.28 GEL. Compared to the previous month (May 2021) the Khachapuri Index lost 1.1%. In annual terms (compared to June 2020), however, the index added 8.8%. The monthly (negative) change in the Index follows the traditional seasonal trend in fresh milk production, which peaks in June and July. In June 2021 price of cheese has decreased by 2.5% compared to the previous… Read More
May, 2021 | Food Prices Stay High
The average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri currently stands at 4.33 GEL, which is 6.9% lower month-on-month (compared to April 2021), and 5.6% higher year-on-year (compared to May 2020). The main contributor to the price change is a seasonal decrease in the price of cheese, which fell by -13.1%, compared to the previous month (April 2021). The official estimate of annual price inflation, published by GeoStat, also shows that CPI increased by 7.7%… Read More
April, 2021 | Khachapuri Index Increases by 6%
The average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri in April 2021 was 4.65 GEL. The Index gained 1% compared to the previous month (March 2021). Usually, at this time of year, seasonal declining trend is expected, which is largely driven by a springtime adjustment of the price of milk and milk products. However, the depreciation of the Georgian lari against the US dollar still has an upward pressure on the price of imported khachapuri… Read More
March, 2021 | Kh-Index Continues to Fall in March 2021
The Khachapuri Index kept declining in March 2021, with the average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri reaching 4.61 GEL. This is 1.7% lower month-on-month (compared to February 2021), and 3.4% higher year-on-year (compared to March 2020). The Index lost ground in all Georgian cities and experienced the largest drop in Kutaisi (of 3.1%), which also appears to be the cheapest location. Due to the decline, the price of one standard Imeretian khachapuri in… Read More
February, 2021 | Will Wheat Price Increase Further?
In February 2021, the average cost of cooking one standard portion of Imeretian khachapuri stood at 4.69 GEL. This is 3.1% lower MoM (compared to January 2021) and 7.8% higher YoY (in comparison to February of 2020). On a monthly basis, at this time of the year, a downward trend in the index is not unusual, and simply relates to the decreasing price of cheese (due to an increased seasonal supply of fresh milk). Although… Read More
