Is Food Really So Expensible? Continue Of The $13.000 Thread

[Bajo_cero2]

We were debating on monopolies and cartels in Argentina as the reason some items are so expansible (sorry, the thread was erased).
Supermarkets are super expensive and that´s why food is more expansible there than in NYC.
This morning I went to the central market for fish and vegetables.

This fish market begins at 10 PM up to 11 am. I suggest to go during the night.

Salmon: 42 up to 52 pesos per kilo
Corvina: 19 pesos the whole fish


The farmer´s market begins at 7 am. The pictures with the prices are from 7.30 when the prices are higher. Even they are a lot cheaper than in the verduleria of your neighborhood, they go down with the pass of the hours because they have to sell all before closing because the trucks comes straight from the farms in the country side, some times 1000 kms away. The vegetables they don t sell, they throw away. After 2 pm prices are about 40% off and it is a market where you can haggle.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

This are the prices when you buy just 1 or 2 kilos. If you buy the whole box/bag there is about 40% off but you have to haggle for it.

The place is safe. There is a police station inside the market with a lot of police men around. There is also men taking care of your car for 5 pesos.

The products are super fresh (the trucks comes straight from the farms and they go back empty) and the quality is the best (Verdulerias usually buy the cheapest).

Regards

 

[glasgowjohn]

Mercado central prices are cheap....but you should only compare them to wholesale markets elsewhere . Its unfair to compare them to retail prices

 

[Bajo_cero2]

Mercado central prices are cheap....but you should only compare them to wholesale markets elsewhere . Its unfair to compare them to retail prices

I disagree.
During the week it is only for wholesales but on Saturdays is a simple farmer's market but HUGE. The pictures I posted were the prices for 1 or 2 kilos only. Salmon was 42 pesos per kilo instead of 99 (Barrio Chino), plums 5 pesos per kilo instead of 15 (verduleria just beside my appartment), and so on.

At Central Market you buy straight to the farmers/producers/fishing companies whithout intermediaries and they compete each other. In fact, probably, is the only place were you can find a free market in this country. That's because prices fall with the passing of the hours and the up and down of the demand.

Remember that this debate was about how monopolies and cartels (few companies that agree prices instead of competing) manipulate the prices in this country and that is why food, among other items are so expensive.

You want the real market, go to Mercado Central and you can get up to 80% off.

There are some other markets bur other items like "La Salada" for clothes or "Once". There the prices are really cheap.

The old markets revived with the 2001 crisis when people wan unable to pay the ridicoulous prices of the malls/verdulerias/etc. During the 90's thouse markets dissapear because people like more to buy at supermarkets and malls. At the beggining they were unexpensive but as soon as they destroy groceries stores, they rised the prices.

Regards

 

[TomAtAlki]

Those prices are incredible, but..... the little vegetable store on my corner is so convenient. At Ostramar I can buy small amounts of fish and seafood already cleaned. For me I am okay with paying more for the convenience. Thank you for that info, that's a great option when we entertain and need large amounts of food. That whole salmon was so cheap, now I'm thinking......

Thanks,
Nancy

PS Your baby is beautiful.

 

[Farenheit]

If you don't have a car, there's really no saving to be made. The cost of a remis to Mercado Central and back would wipe out any profit...

 

[Bajo_cero2]

Those prices are incredible, but..... the little vegetable store on my corner is so convenient. At Ostramar I can buy small amounts of fish and seafood already cleaned. For me I am okay with paying more for the convenience. Thank you for that info, that's a great option when we entertain and need large amounts of food. That whole salmon was so cheap, now I'm thinking......

Thanks,
Nancy

PS Your baby is beautiful.

The price for salmon in pieces is 48 per kilo. The price of the picture is for the whole salmon.
They also have alive seafood.
Regards

pd: Thanks!

 

[Bajo_cero2]

If you don't have a car, there's really no saving to be made. The cost of a remis to Mercado Central and back would wipe out any profit...

Indeed. When I was a child, my mother use to organize with some friend to make the shopping at CM because it was cheaper to by bulk and split it and some of them didn t have a car just like you.

Regards

 

[Rich One]

Those prices are incredible, but..... the little vegetable store on my corner is so convenient. At Ostramar I can buy small amounts of fish and seafood already cleaned. For me I am okay with paying more for the convenience. Thank you for that info, that's a great option when we entertain and need large amounts of food. That whole salmon was so cheap, now I'm thinking......

Thanks,
Nancy



PS Your baby is beautiful.

I second your opinion, the Mercado Central is an option if one has a vehicle, a freezer and time to spare. The salmon showed seems very small to me.

 

[dennisr]

No wheels, time to pool resources. Get a group of people together and share transportation cost and dibby up the loot. Kind of how we did it in DC way back when to get to an Amish farmer's market sixty miles out of town. No one owned a car but we figured it out. Rent a car for a day and shared the cost. Quality and prices made it a win situation and it turned into being a lot of fun.