Pitkali prices posted online

D.Cauchi

Nov 8th 2009, 21:47

Mill-pitkalija qatt mhu ha ssib min ibiegh l-istess, ghax thallas tal-kwalita li qed tixtri. Barra min hekk il-prezzijiet li qed jidhru fuq is-site huma prezzijiet li jixtri l'bejjiegh, u mhux il-konsumatur. U il-pastard tixtrih bil-kilo ?? Il-hamis il-pastard ghal bejjiegh kien ta mhux inqas minn 1.30 euros, barra min hekk min ibiegh irid jaqla xi haga minna wkoll. U l'hsara li tibqa ma wicc il-bejjiegh, fuel, ect.... min ha jikkalkula ??

Peter Axisa

Nov 8th 2009, 15:41

@ David Agius
Ta' Qali Producers Group is a group of farmers attempting to do exactly what Mr. Agius is suggesting. The group has a farmers' shop where you can always buy fresh fruit and vegetables locally produced. We also provide imported products when local supply is not available or not abundant. It is open to the public all week except for Saturdays. Sundays have proven to be very popular with regulars coming from all over Malta. Our shop, which hopefully is only the first of its type, can be found opposite the Ta' Qali Reservoir in Pitkali Road. The more the public support this initiative the more shops we endeavour to open. The idea is to supply the best product for the least price. We can also supply produce by the boxfull for those who have a larger family who would like to share between friends. This method offers even larger savings.

Stefan Gauci Scicluna

Nov 8th 2009, 08:37

The solution is not only by posting the prices online. This move will create de facto price pressure between the farmers and the Pitkalija to a certain extent, but it will surely not reduce the final prices as expected in a more functioning market economy that values the consumer. The other part of the puzzle can be completed by creating more pressure on the retail sector that is so much dispersed and where consumers are powerless to actually choose on the basis of price (as vegetables and fruits can be considered more as commodities)....the way forward is by creating regional retail centres for vegetable and fruit products (separate from the pitkalija) which would create more competition that provides more power to the consumer to choose the best prices....today, this is simply not happening.

Roderick Micallef

Nov 8th 2009, 07:49

I am amused by the comments posted online, majority are saying 'prosit' and 'well done' but can you exactly explain why? Personally this is perfect example of the government showing that it is doing something about pricing but effectively nothing is being done and I will tell you why :-
1. How come the list doesn't include everything? There are items which are evidently missing.
2. OK you posted prices online, but what is the purpose? If a retail outlet will display different prices (obviously higher) can you explain how these prices posted online will effect the retail outlet?
3. Imagine, if I will actually confront the retail outlet and will show them your prices and compare them with their prices, do you actually believe that this will make a difference?
4. If most vegetable sellers actually agree on the prices they will be selling at (again at a price higher than that online) than even if you don't buy from one retail outlet and go to another one, the prices will be similar any ways, if not higher!
5. It's better if we understand WHY retailers are raising their prices, and most probably the answer is BILLS!

J. Abela

Nov 8th 2009, 01:43

Well done. It is about time!. Everyone knows that the price of veggies and fruit increased dramatically. One should also control the retail prices @ hawkers/supermarkets (even though one is able to sell any product at any price under the 'free market'). Both hawker/veggie shops and pitkali sellers MUST be controlled in this case!!!. Whilst at it, i am amazed why local fruit and veggies is so expensive compared to a couple of years ago AND even more at the marked up retail prices. I invite readers to check out prices at pitkali and hawkers/supermarkets on the same day...and compare..Judge who are the thieves!

antoine micallef

Nov 7th 2009, 16:00

incredible comments that i read over here! this is not a thing that offers the truth thing about the matter it is really a big difference. fist off all i don't know what people expect from us . seeing that they say that we are stealing money from them. i hope that those who said comments like this are persons that are really a good faith persons , like saying you go to a mechanic and fro a 30 mints service he charge you 50 euros, or or you bring a plumper at home and he charge you from 70 euros to 90 euros a day for his service, is it true that are really our prices that are making the rise in the prices. if we do a list i dont finish how we are being robbed as well, like some public service workers that dont give time worth for the money given in work, it is really incredible pointing out that we are passing from a very bad moment in our sales and we are really cutting prices so to sell our products, i thing that the best thing to do is to go to register like many people do

B Borg

Nov 7th 2009, 13:34

@Igalea
It is very clear that you don't know what happens at Pitkali. The price per item quoted online is the AVERAGE price of the item. You should know how it works before calling other people robbers! There will be a whole range of prices for the same item.. the less will obviously be the worst of the range, however there will be of much better quality and will be much higher that the price quoted. In other words, if you expect to buy eg. tomatoes at the price quoted they will be of more inferior quality. Moreover the prices quoted today are not real as the Pitkali don't even open on a Saturday.

jsammmut

Nov 7th 2009, 09:43

well done,we need this

V. Aquilina

Nov 7th 2009, 06:56

This is good news to consumers and the general public. The free market shouldn't mean profiteering and blatant theft.

Well done to those who took this decision.

G Zammit

Nov 7th 2009, 03:12

Il-frott u l-haxix ghandek cans tixtrih min fejn trid , prezzijiet hawn hafna differenti u jvarjaw , il-Ministru ahjar jidilna kif se naghmlu ahna li ghandna in-negozji u nies impjegati maghna..... u min fejn ser inhalsu id-dawl u l-ilma li ser ikkomplu jitilaw mas -sema ....u ohra Sur Ministru , il-haxix tista tmur tixtrieh min x mkien iehor jekk ta Peppi ma jogbokx...imma id-dawl u l-ilma ma ghandekx ghazla .....jew issa se naghmlu bhall zmien Mintoff....ser induru fuq tan negozji u mibdew inwahlu fijhom minhabba il-prezzijiet.....meta jrid il-Ministru iddur dawra u nuruh il-kont tad dawl u l-ilma .....u ma nippruvawx naghmlu affarijiet biex naljenew in-nies !

F camilleri

Nov 7th 2009, 02:45

Is this a Joke? How can fruit and Veg prices be controlled ? who is going to pay for the electricity , diesel and wages ! Or the Minister now thinks that we sell and make no profit ? And electricity is going up again ! imsomma mickey mouse country .....

lgalea

Nov 6th 2009, 22:56

B Borg
What's wrong with knowing who's robbing you Borg? Hope you're not one of them.

Claire Busuttil

Nov 6th 2009, 18:50

Tal anqas il konsumatur ikun jaf min qed jisirqu!!

B Borg

Nov 6th 2009, 16:41

Thinking about it why not start publishing prices for most of the things like fishmongers, pharmacy prices etc.... Dejjem tfarfru l-ghanqbuta u l-brimba thalluha tgawdi...... Let's not go back to Mintoff's style.... thought you were more intelligent people.

S. Camilleri

Nov 6th 2009, 16:28

@ Joseph Camilleri Prices are marked at Euro Cents per kilo...as clearly stated on the price list, thus 27.72 = approx 28 cents not Euro 27 and 72 cents!!!!!!!!

J.Camilleri

Nov 6th 2009, 16:15

@Joseph Camilleri.
Of course you're right. Ghaxxaqniha mill-ewwel.
And by the way, what if the vendor is not willing to sell vegs and fruits according to published prices? that is he asks for much higher prices?
Is ours not a free market? Everybody asks as much as he wants: take it or leaveit.
This happens with everything: for example for a botte of wine worth two euros restaurants, or most of them charge average of 11euros. And always grumbling for gov. to help them : with our money of course. Mickey mouse country.

Tony Borg

Nov 6th 2009, 16:03

Prosit. Inizjattiva tajba hafna. Issa jkolli mmur nixtri l-haxix bil-laptop. Qabel kellna gvern tal-calculator, issa ghandna wiehed tal-laptop. Mhux ahjar taqbdu l-barri minn qrunu u ma tkomplux titmejjlu bina.

Rita Spiteri

Nov 6th 2009, 15:17

@V. Abela
The only difference between being reported on TV, and being posted on the internet is the media, anyway some people do not have acces to the internet

Ray Buhagiar

Nov 6th 2009, 14:42

L-imhatra li tant ser jkun hemm tahwid ta' prezzijiet li din is-sistema ma ddumx ma tmut.

B Borg

Nov 6th 2009, 14:11

This is simply unreasonable. I am a fruit and vegetable hawker who yesterday bought the tomatoes (tas-serrer) at Euro 1.30. This was bought for resale. Today on the website the same tomatoes are marked at Euro 0.98. Something is very wrong with the price list or the people who are quoting these prices have other interest. Can someone explain this to me please as I have to give an explanation to my customers?

Peter Axisa

Nov 6th 2009, 13:46

Part 2
3. For example yesterday the price for potatoes at TQPG was € 0.45 per kilo whereas the price I see on line is € 0.27.72. Now this difference could be attributed to either the price rising from Monday’s market or more likely because the € 0.45 represents the price for a class 1 potato whilst the average price includes the 2nd and 3rd class potato. So without putting a grade to the product it is pointless publishing prices.
4. To complicate matters further although cabbages, cauliflowers and lettuces are sold by the box, the prices quoted online are by the kilo. Whilst TQPG agree that the price should be quoted by the kilo the fact remains that to date, the tradition has always been to buy by the box. To add insult to injury a box could contain anything from five to twelve cabbages! Imagine working out an accurate price with all that!

I know the intention to improve matters is there but jumping the gun before getting one’s house in order can do more harm then good causing more confusion than leaving piece of mind to the consumers.

Peter Axisa
CEO
Ta’Qali Producers Group

Peter Axisa

Nov 6th 2009, 13:42

Part 1.
1. The timing is useless – What is the use of reading Monday’s prices today? Yesterday was another market day that could have changed prices in all aspects. The system practiced in the pitkalija cannot provide for such a system unless prices are instantly inputted into a computer system as is done in other markets. Malta is considered to be amongst the top countries in I.T. yet our market relies on handwritten bits of paper which are handed over to the Pitkalija Administration for “proper” recording the next day that sales are carried out.
2. Assuming a miracle takes place and the Pitkala are fully furnished with a computerized system tomorrow, and the Pitkalija will be in a position to issue the prices instantly as they did in Guernsey C.I. forty four years ago, that would still not reflect reality because the best that can be done at present is issue the Highest, Lowest or the Medium price which was what the Government opted for. Although in principle this is correct because the price should reflect 1st 2nd and 3rd grade produce, this cannot be done unless grading starts to take place in parallel

Joseph Camilleri

Nov 6th 2009, 13:39

I have just accessed the website indicated in the article and I wonder if there is some gross error. I know that fruit and vegetable prices are high but nothing like the prices in the table in the website. I'll take two examples: 'Tadam zenguli' is marked Euro 126.20 per kilo! 'Bettiegh tas-sajf' is marked Euro 66.60 per kilo making a family-sized melon something like Euro 150? Am I reading correctly? Can anybody please explain? Are the quoted prices 'kull kilo' or 'kull xkora'?

jason mizzi

Nov 6th 2009, 13:36

the prices on website seem to be wrong

M Buhagiar

Nov 6th 2009, 13:35

Pass tajjeb, pero ghandha tittiehed azzjoni fuq prodotti primi li ghal xi raguni ma johorgux mill-pitkalija ghax ma xtrahom hadd u jirrizulta f'hafna hela bla bzonn ta' haxix u frott.

J.Bezzina

Nov 6th 2009, 13:11

What is wrong with having the price list shown on TV or elsewhere?

P.Cassar

Nov 6th 2009, 12:34

AGAIN, ANOTHER SUGGESTION BY JOE MUSCAT TAKEN UP.

Then you hear the same old dumbheads saying the PL DOES NOT put forward suggestions.

Randolph Spiteri

Nov 6th 2009, 12:12

The prices online would help to show that people are being skinned alive when buying vegetables and fruit. They would also show by how much. However, this does nothing to prevent the daylight robbery going on. If I go to my favorite supermarket and I insist that the price difference between wholesale and retail is too much, he'll probably shrug his shoulders and tell me to take my custom elsewhere, since it's a free market.
I don't agree with extreme price control, but I don't agree with people being robbed either.

Mifsud Anna

Nov 6th 2009, 11:33

Price control. That's what we need. Prosit!

Vince Calleja

Nov 6th 2009, 11:28

Was this one of Labour's 'Shopping list'? Were they not 'irresponsible proposals' How come it has been implemented by the Government? Is this a U-Turn? Or was only Alfred Sant famous for them?

Dr Francis Saliba

Nov 6th 2009, 11:09

The next logical and very effective step would be to publicise a freephone number (as in the case of smoking exhausts form motor vehicles) where to report prices grossly above the pitkali prices.

V. Abela

Nov 6th 2009, 11:08

@ Rita Spiteri and E. Gatt

This is completely different from the 80s: then the fruit and veg prices were reported on TV, now they're being posted on internet. The evil socialist regime was trying to 'control the market' , whereas today's efficient government is 'regulating the market'. Those who are smart , understand that these are big differences. Another market failure exisits in the Maltese pharmaceutical product market. Government intervention is justified there too.

Mark Mercieca

Nov 6th 2009, 11:06

BRILLIANT!!!! At last it seems that action seems to be taken to curb excessive mark-ups in the food chain. The logical follow-up is to justify the typical formula:
Pitkal to Green Grocer/Supermarket/Street Hawker = + 100 to 200% say 100%
Green Grocer/Supermarket/Street Hawker to Public = + 100 to 200% say 150%(retail)
The above figures are to say the least conservative - can anyone justify the difference between the retail price of, for example, tomatoes this year in the peak season and the pittance the farmer received for his produce with all the risks of disease, ect.
Will the interests of the farmer and the consumer be continually sacrificed on the altar of (sic) market economics - when there are conspiracies and distortions. The Government is duty bound to intervene and ensure that there are no manipulations to the detriment to the consumer. This seems to be the root of our high inflation.
Also, while at it, is anybody checking the weighing scales of the retailers or is this taboo? Who is getting paid to ensure that these abuses do not happen? Is he doing his job? If obviously not - then why is he still receiving his salary?

lgalea

Nov 6th 2009, 10:48

Good job.
People whether farmers or housewives have been for a long time and still are being skinned alive by vegetable sellers.

G. Grech

Nov 6th 2009, 10:02

Well done. This is what we call transparency

Rita Spiteri

Nov 6th 2009, 09:28

WOW back to the 80's when we used to have veg & fruit prices shown on tvm

E Gatt

Nov 6th 2009, 09:17

A much better approach than a 'price control' system suggested by some socialist control freaks.