AZE.US
Shoppers report rising prices for everyday dairy staples like milk, cheese and yogurt. Vendors see stable pricing. Economists point to long-term inflationary trends, higher input costs and global market pressures shaping price dynamics.
Consumers in Azerbaijan’s markets say they are paying more for basic dairy products than a few months ago, with milk, cheese, sour cream and yogurt topping their lists of items that have become more expensive.
Shoppers interviewed across several local markets described price differences compared with earlier in the season and cited increases of roughly 30-50 gapik on some items.
But stall operators paint a different picture, telling reporters that current prices remain largely unchanged. According to sellers, demand in winter traditionally centers on cheese and milk, while products such as yogurt and sour cream sell in varying volumes. They noted that cheeses from regions like Beylaqan and Ismayilli are being bought and sold at roughly the same wholesale and retail margins as before.
Economist Fuad Ibrahimov said long-term upward trends in food prices, including dairy, reflect both domestic and international influences. Import dependence for key inputs means global price shifts can feed directly into local costs. At the same time, rising expenses for cattle feed, fuel and utilities in Azerbaijan’s farming sector add pressure on producers and distributors to adjust prices.
“Price changes in dairy products are not just seasonal,” Ibrahimov noted. “They mirror broader cost increases tied to imported components and to foundational shifts in production expenses.”
Analysts warn that in the cold months ahead, continued volatility in local and global markets could keep selective dairy prices under upward pressure, even if headline inflation appears stable at retail counters.