The weighted average of the six best-selling vegetable species at the Buenos Aires Central Market fell by 12.4%, and the 'Vegetables, Tubers, and Legumes' segment helped the October Consumer Price Index (CPI) not to deviate too far from the 2% recorded in September. Thus, the weight of the 'Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages' division, which is 2.2% in the CPI, would show a downward trend of 0.3% in the October index to be released next week, according to a report by the CEPA Center. The price gap between vegetables at the MCBA and supermarkets in October was 120.3%, marking an expansion of 28.6 percentage points from the previous month. As in September, lettuce was the vegetable with the greatest price dispersion among supermarkets at 61.5%, with COTO being the most expensive. However, the survey to compile the October index for 'Vegetables, Tubers, and Legumes' wholesale prices does not match the weight each product holds on the family table: only tomato prices fell by 36.1%, while squash and onion prices rose by almost 30%, lettuce by 20%, sweet potato by 15%, and potato by 4.2%. Meanwhile, the four most traded fruits at the MCBA show a weighted price increase of 25.2% compared to September 2025, allowing for a projected increase in the fruit segment of the CPI by 25.9%, which impacts the order of 1.3% of the CPI's food division weight, thus determining an upward trend of 0.3% in the October CPI's fruit category. 'Vegetables, Tubers, and Legumes' (potato, tomato, squash, onion, lettuce, and sweet potato), together, represent 75.3% of the trading volume at the Buenos Aires Central Market (MCBA), and the main fruits (banana, lemon, apple, and orange) account for 55.0% of the commercialized volume. The explanation for the 25% drop in the weight of 'Vegetables, Tubers, and Legumes' is summarized in the behavior of a single product, the tomato, which fell by 36.1%. It exhibited the highest accumulated variation: 185.1%, although the highest annual variation was seen in the sweet potato: 36.3%. Causes and effects In October, the market showed a differentiated dynamic among products. In the case of tomatoes, the transition between producing areas generated strong volatility, with a significant initial drop and subsequent price recovery. This solidified a contraction in their prices compared to the previous month. In contrast, onion showed slight increases associated with lower-quality supply from Santiago del Estero, while imports from Brazil contributed to moderating the rises. Overall, both cases reflect the incidence of seasonality and regionality in the formation of horticultural prices. Supermarkets, for their part, showed a slight increase in the average current prices of the six vegetable species of 0.3% compared to September. While tomato, onion, and sweet potato prices contracted by 18.0%, 11.1%, and 3.8% respectively, potato and lettuce prices increased by 35.3% and 23.6% respectively. Squash showed no price variation between September and October. The fruit balance The only fruit that saw its prices contract in October was apple, at -10.6%. The rest of the species showed increases: lemon by 106.0%, banana by 20.7%, and orange by 14.3%. The annual variation in the segment was 28.9%. Lemon showed the highest: 63.2%. Its increase is due to the species' own seasonality, with supplies from Salta and Tucumán, plus smaller contributions from Entre Ríos and Corrientes, supplemented by lots from Chile and Brazil. This scenario will likely continue until the end of the year.
