Mama Mia! Pasta Prices Rising

The price of gas ever-rising? Italians have taken it in stride, not letting it faze la dolce vita. But rising prices of pasta? Mamma mia, che casino! Pasta prices have risen more than 30% in the first half of this year, reports the Italian news agency ANSA, nearly the highest rise in any product in Italy, and second only to diesel’s 31.9% rise in the past six months.

The controversy behind these rising costs lies not only in the pricey pasta, however, but in the fact that the price of wheat used to make pasta, durum wheat, has fallen some 25% in the past six months, reports ANSA, which also quotes the farming association Coldiretti as stating that there has been a 369% rise in price from farm to consumer! Whether Italians can expect to see a drop in pasta prices in the near future is yet to be seen, but one thing is for certain – Italians show no possibility in parting with la pasta quotidiana anytime soon! — Justine Gregory