In December 2025, the average retail prices of the six main vegetable varieties in Argentine supermarkets increased by 4.0% compared to November. The highest rise was seen in tomato prices, up by 34.2%, followed by lettuce at 8.1%. Meanwhile, prices for potatoes, squash, onions, and sweet potatoes fell by 19.8%, 14.3%, 5.7%, and 1.7%, respectively.
A particularly high price dispersion was recorded for tomatoes, reaching 270.4%. In this context, COTO was the most expensive chain, while MasOnLine offered the most economical prices.
In contrast to the supermarket situation, at the wholesale Mercado Central de Buenos Aires (MCBA), average prices for the same vegetables decreased by 8.4%. The main driver of this decline was the tomato, whose price fell by 44.5%. Prices for onions and lettuce also decreased by 19.5% and 0.4%, respectively. Conversely, prices for potatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash rose by 17.0%, 7.4%, and 4.5%. Over the year, this segment increased by 21.7%, with sweet potatoes showing the highest accumulated variation at 91.3%.
The potato sector in 2025 evidenced the consequences of a macroeconomic model: high internal costs and an uncompetitive exchange rate disincentivized exports, diverting production to the domestic market. This caused a significant oversupply and a price collapse below cost levels.
Regarding fruits, their prices soared at the MCBA wholesale market in December. Orange prices jumped by 62.7%, lemons by 45.5%, apples by 15.9%, and bananas by 8.3%. The weighted price index for the four main fruit crops rose by 27.0% compared to November, a trend that is projected to impact the overall inflation rate for December.
Experts from Centro CEPA point out that such price volatility, exacerbated by the lack of state planning and foreign trade regulation, underscores the need for a more active state role to guarantee supply, support prices, and reduce costs in order to protect national production.
