Last year's good harvests translate into cheaper groceries

Consumers in the Netherlands experienced a decrease in food prices during August, September, and October compared to the previous year. Significant price drops were recorded for essential goods, including butter which became 31 percent cheaper, as well as vegetable oil, beef, and milk. According to the Dutch central bank, this trend is primarily the result of successful European harvests in 2025, which lowered the cost of raw materials like grains and oilseeds. The decline in global market prices for commodities such as tea, coffee, and sugar, alongside lower energy costs for production, transportation, and packaging, further contributed to this relief for household budgets.

However, these price reductions in supermarkets often follow a significant lag due to processing times and long-term contracts. Although prices dropped over the autumn, there was a slight increase of 0.4 percent in October compared to the previous month. Future inflationary pressure may return as recent energy cost increases are eventually passed on to consumers, and the current relief remains insufficient to fully compensate for the sharp price spikes observed following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.