A kilogram of potatoes markets in Belgrade cost is 150 dinars in the first week of October, while the most common price in the store in the same period was around 120 dinars. Beans on the market cost 500, au shop around 370 dinars, and a kilogram of onions could be found at the market stall for 150, while the most common price in stores is around 60 dinars.
According to the data Republic Institute for Statistics, retail prices of agricultural products in the first week of October, which are the last published data, are generally lower in stores than in the market in all places for which statistics were compiled.
According to agroeconomist Milan Prostrano, there are several explanations for this.
"Prices are formed completely freely on the market. There you have original producers who offer goods, but also buyers, buyers. No one puts administrative pressure on them, there are various trade manifests and freedom of trade," says Prostran.
Higher prices on the markets are also affected by the poor yield of agricultural products this year, caused by adverse weather conditions.
"Traders on the market are trying in this year, which was definitely critical, especially for vegetable crops and agricultural crops due to the drought, to perhaps compensate for the lost income through slightly higher prices. This is a year in which everyone who has lost something due to the drought tries, if he has had anything, to compensate for the lost income or the income he expected through higher prices, or to compensate as much as possible for production costs," says Prostran.
Markets in stores
On the other hand, the logic of retail chains that try to attract customers and pull them away from the markets also emerges.
"Many large chains practically advertise their 'markets' and try to attract that part of the people who are used to going to the market through that narrative and through slightly lower prices and higher quality and fresher goods. You will generally find whatever you want in those markets of theirs. It is likely that one day, if they realize their shopping dream, they will transfer consumers from the markets or a significant part of them to the stores, and probably one day they will still charge for it," he believes. Spacious.
As he adds, when someone gets used to going to that kind of market, he will become their regular customer and become attached to that retail chain.
Prostran believes that shopping malls manage to attract customers in this way.
"I notice that ten, fifteen years ago you practically did not buy anything from fruits and vegetables in stores, but today they try to have fresh fruits and vegetables, that fresh, new goods are brought in every morning", Prostran concludes.
Drought and reduced production
According to the report "Analysis of parameters of agricultural production in 2025." BioSens Institute, the season was marked by prolonged dry periods, reduced rainfall and lower soil moisture compared to the previous 15 years.
Drought and a lower yield raised the prices of agricultural products, so according to the data of the Republic Institute of Statistics (RZS), in the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, the retail prices of fruit, fresh and chilled, increased by 18,1 percent.
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