Tomatoes, Coffee, and Beef Drive 0.6% Rise in Food Prices in Colombia This May

In May 2025, the food and non-alcoholic beverages market presented a monthly variation of 0.6%, which exceeds the national total (0.32%) by 0.28 percentage points, to rank as the sector with the highest increase of the month. This behavior confirms the pressure that certain products in the basic goods basket continue to exert on the cost of living of Colombian households.

The increase in May was higher than that recorded in the same month of 2024 (0.51%). The foods that contributed the most to this behavior were tomatoes (+12.28%), coffee (+5.47%), beef (+0.7%), onions (+5.66%), and eggs (+1.02%). In contrast, products such as potatoes (-3.68%), chicken (-0.79%), fresh fruits (-0.81%), and oranges (-5.14%) showed reductions in their prices.

In the current year (January to May), the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages have increased by 4.88%, placing them above the national variation (3.63%). This performance has been marked, in particular, by tomatoes (+61.38%), coffee (+26.89%), fresh vegetables and legumes (15.5%), fresh fruit (+9.83%), and beef (3.72%). In contrast, products such as bananas (6.11%), rice (1.04%), and carrots (10.13%) have contributed to mitigating the rise.

In annual terms (May 2025 vs. May 2024), the food and non-alcoholic beverages division presented a variation of 4.71%, below the national variation (5.05%), being the sixth division with the lowest increase in the period. The foods with the highest increases were chocolate (+49.24%), tomatoes (+44.95%), coffee (+28.12%), beef (+4.02%), and fresh fruits (+6.51%). Potatoes (-17.6%), tree tomatoes (-23.93%), and blackberries (-16.77%) were the products with the greatest price drops.

“The behavior of food prices confirms the importance of planning agricultural production based on technical information. Tools such as productive ordering make it possible to anticipate supply pressures, identify cycles of scarcity, and guide public policies that contribute to stabilizing prices and guaranteeing food security,” said Dora Inés Rey, director of the UPRA.

Tomatoes. Photo credit: Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay.