RISING FUEL COSTS HAVE PUSHED PRICE OF GAS TO A NEW RECORD HIGH AND NOW IT COSTS MORE THAN WINE, REVEALS COLDIRETTI

The price of a gallon of gasoline at the pump now costs more than a liter of wine for sale on supermarket shelves. This is the result from the Coldiretti (Association of Italian Farmers) study of the new record gasoline price where in the South of Italy it costs 1.67 euros per liter, while in Naples an average table wine costs 1.54 euros per liter, according to the Ministry of Economic Development Price Observatory survey.
It is - according to Coldiretti - the most obvious effect of the changes in the distribution of Italians’ expenses. The rising cost of oil has effected Italian families’ spending on transportation, fuel and electricity and is more than what they spend on food and beverages, according to the Coldiretti study.

Food and energy together account for – Coldiretti points out - almost 40% of the total expenditure of Italian households. In particular, inflation of transportation in June was more than twice (5.3%) that of food (+2.5%) and consequently spending on transportation, fuel and electricity was a few tenths of a percent higher than food.

They are actually - said Coldiretti - two closely related expense items in a country like Italy where 86% of commercial transportation is by road. Rising fuel costs weigh significantly on logistics and on the final sale price of foodstuffs, but they are also pushing - concluded Coldiretti - towards consuming local and seasonal products that do not have to take long journeys.