Food Prices around Europe

[milanbenes]

no, there has been a reversal,

still, whatever

Milan.

[Spartacus]

then Spartacus, may I call you Sparky ?

isn't there an opportunity here, for a plan b,

to buy spuds in CZ straight from the farms and transport them to the UK (about 1000 miles) and sell them at the fruit and veg wholesale markets or straight into the big retailers ?

and if that's the case, don't you wonder that if the big supermarkets can buy spuds at say 45p a kilo in CZ and sell them in the UK for 218p a kilo, isn't that a huge markup ?

which is tolerated by UK consumers like Sparky, because, it's that way, because, because we earn more here don't we, so we should pay more

Milan.

I'm not saying there's no opportunity to profit from the situation, just that your starting premise is in large part false. Earnings clearly are an immense factor and to doubt that UK earnings are larger than CZ earnings is little bit silly.

Besides, consumers want British potatoes, not Czech potatoes, and customer is king. What actually happens is that British potatoes are picked by East Europeans in Lincolnshire, road freighted to Poland to be washed and bagged then road freighted back again where they are sold in the Tesco down the road from where they were grown marked as locally grown potatoes with a little Union flag on the bag. Everyone's happy, especially the environmentally conscious buyer who wants to do their bit to buy "local".

[milanbenes]

Sparky,

'Besides, consumers want British potatoes, not Czech potatoes, and customer is king. ',


you mean like the all year round spanish tomatoes


I am not so sure that the customer is the king, more like the customer has no choice.

Milan.

[beaker]

no, there has been a reversal,

still, whatever

Milan.

You're right, we're screwed either way

[DodgyAgent]

You're right, we're screwed either way

Milan

Have you ever thought of working on treasury systems?. with that knowledge of currencies you should coin it.

[Spartacus]

Sparky,

'Besides, consumers want British potatoes, not Czech potatoes, and customer is king. ',


you mean like the all year round spanish tomatoes


I am not so sure that the customer is the king, more like the customer has no choice.

Milan.

Blimey, squire, you do like comparing chalk and cheese don't you? Potatoes and petrol and now potatoes and tomatoes. Potatoes can be easily stored to cover the seasons, tomatoes can't. I can guarantee you my local supermarket has no Czech (or Spanish) potatoes anywhere in evidence. There are some peculiar ones from Chile but I guess that's because no one grows that sort in the UK.

I can assure you the main reason why potatoes cost less in CZ is because people earn less there.

[DodgyAgent]

Blimey, squire, you do like comparing chalk and cheese don't you? Potatoes and petrol and now potatoes and tomatoes. Potatoes can be easily stored to cover the seasons, tomatoes can't. I can guarantee you my local supermarket has no Czech (or Spanish) potatoes anywhere in evidence. There are some peculiar ones from Chile but I guess that's because no one grows that sort in the UK.

I can assure you the main reason why potatoes cost less in CZ is because people earn less there.

And they cost less to produce and transport

[sasguru]

Milan

Have you ever thought of working on treasury systems?. with that knowledge of currencies you should coin it.

Milan's attempts at understanding economics always leave me rolling in the aisles. Side-splittingly funny. Priceless!

[milanbenes]

sorry DA,

the only thing that costs less over here is wages,

transport costs, on a Volvo 44ton artic with Fruehauf trailer and diesel will cost the same as in Germany for example

the farmers their John Deere tractors cost the same here as in the rest of europe

maybe stick to your hammering the phones eh

Milan.

[Spartacus]

the only thing that costs less over here is wages

Splendid, so we're agreed then. The main reason why potatoes cost less in CZ is because earnings are lower.