Rapid rise in Finnish food prices

HELSINKI, Feb. 23 (Chinese media) -- Food prices have risen faster in Finland than in any other EU state, Finnish media reports on Monday.

The price of food in Finland is inching up at a record speed of over 10 percent a year, according to Eurostat, the statistics center of the European Union.

The prices of basic foodstuffs including grains, meat, fish, vegetables and milk products have increased sharply. In the past year grain prices have risen nearly 60 percent, paste product prices are up by a third and rice costs some 20 percent more than before.

Falling fuel and raw energy prices across Europe have not led to downward price pressure on food in Finland as they have in other EU states, according to Statistics Finland.

Experts said there may be something wrong with competition on the food market. There is lack of competition on the food market in Finland.