Cyprus’s Easter feast is not under threat of being cancelled and those stoking panic are being contradicted by the market’s own data, the executive secretary of the Cyprus Supermarkets Association said on Tuesday.
Andreas Hatziadamou told the Cyprus News Agency that the only confirmed price increase recorded so far was in LPG, up €4.50 per cylinder, while other essential products had seen no comparable rises.
Reports of lamb prices hitting €20 per kilogram “have no bearing on reality,” he said. Prices had not risen significantly compared to last year, and experience showed they typically fell as Holy Week neared, driven by heavier promotional activity.
Supermarkets would absorb part of the pressure by trimming their profit margins, Hatziadamou said. He also took aim at profiteering along the supply chain. “There are cases of unjustified price increases and we must be careful not to give them room,” he told CNA.
On supply, he acknowledged market pressures but said demand would be met. Supermarkets had open lines with suppliers in Cyprus, Greece, and other European countries, with imports on standby if needed.
Quality was not a concern, he added, with all imported products subject to strict food safety protocols.
He was clear on the headline message: Easter would be on a par with last year in both price and availability. “The coming days are expected to confirm in practice that the noise of recent weeks was much greater than the real picture of the market,” he said.