PRICES OF FOODS IN THE BASIC FOOD BASKET IN EIRUNEPÉ – AM

Abstract

Food is one of the fundamental pillars of people's subsistence and quality of life, being a relevant topic in economic and social terms. In this sense, the present study had as its main objective to research the prices of the items that make up the basic food basket in the municipality of Eirunepé - AM over the course of a year. To achieve the proposed objective, a field research, with a quantitative approach, was carried out between the months of September 2022 and August 2023, with the items being defined based on Decree-Law No. 399/1938, with adaptations to the local reality. The research consisted of collecting prices carried out monthly in all official neighborhoods of the city, which allowed the extraction of statistical data such as lowest price, highest price and average price, referring to each of the products. At the end of the period, the main objective of the research was achieved and it was possible to verify that, of the thirteen food products surveyed, nine showed an increase in the average price, with milk, bread, rice and margarine being the items with the highest percentage of increase. It was also possible to observe that two products had the same average price, both in the first month and in the last: pasta and flour. Oil and sugar were the only products with a reduction in the average price, with oil having the highest percentage reduction. Some products had a price increase higher than inflation and the minimum wage adjustment percentage, resulting, in these cases, in a loss of purchasing power on the part of the consumer.