Procon of João Pessoa reports up to 401% price jump for oranges in local market survey

The consumer protection agency (Procon) of João Pessoa conducted a price survey on 22 July across 16 supermarkets and open‑air markets, collecting data for 78 fruit, vegetable and leaf‑product items. The study found a dramatic price spread for several products. Leek (alho‑poró) showed a R$ 34 per‑kilogram difference, ranging from R$ 15.99 at Latorre (Torre) to R$ 49.99 at Manaíra (Manaíra), a 213 % variation. The most striking gap was for Bahia oranges, whose price varied 401 % – from R$ 2.99 at Galego das Frutas (Mercado de Mangabeira) to R$ 14.99 at Zuca da Macaxeira (Mercado da Torre), a R$ 12 difference. Other notable swings included beans (vagem) with a R$ 22.99 spread (R$ 12.00–R$ 34.99), kiwi Sungold with a R$ 20.51 spread (R$ 29.49–R$ 50.00), maxixe (300 % variation, R$ 5–R$ 20) and chuchu (299 % variation, R$ 1.50–R$ 5.99). The survey covered public markets in Central, Torre, Mangabeira and Bairro dos Estados, as well as supermarkets such as Bemais, SuperFácil Atacado, Menor Preço, Latorre, Novo Mercato and Manaíra.