Autumn reactions

The average consumer price of milk was up by 30 per cent in Germany in September last year compared to 2006. Consumers immediately responded by reducing their consumption, according to a survey conducted by the GfK Group. Another finding of the survey conducted among 20,000 German households was that price rises resulted in confusion among consumers. The result was a 6.7 per cent reduction in consumption. However, overall spending on milk increased by 18 per cent, which translated to HUF 177 per household per month. The consumer price of milk was up by 13.8 per cent in Hungary at the end of the same period, which also resulted in reduced consumption and a change of preferences. The price rise is due to increased world-wide demand, especially in China, which allows producers to export at a higher price than in the past.