The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) has revealed a list of retailers and distributors offering the lowest and highest prices on grocery items within the Corporate Area and Manchester.

The Consumer Alert, published in The Gleaner and available on the CAC website, showed the prices of 29 surveyed items.

Twelve supermarkets in Kingston and St Andrew were surveyed, while six retailers in Manchester were examined last Thursday and Friday.

Karl Samuda, minister of industry, investment and commerce, said the publication of grocery prices was intended to put pressure on retailers in an effort to have the best prices within the marketplace.

"We are not arguing with anyone about their prices. The days of my quarrelling are over, all I'm dealing with is information on the ground," said Samuda during the monthly food prices press conference at the ministry's office on St Lucia Avenue in New Kingston.

Lowest prices

Shoppers Fair supermarket in Duhaney Park was found to have the lowest prices within the Corporate Area. Thirteen of the 29 grocery items were found to be the cheapest at that Shoppers Fair branch.

In Manchester, Mandeville Cash and Carry supermarket and Urville store shared the slot for best prices. Both supermarkets carried the lowest prices for seven of the surveyed items.

On the most-expensive list, Super Plus Stony Hill headlined, with seven of its grocery items included.

Super Plus Christiana also topped the most expensive list with JR's supermarket, in the same area, for the rural parish.

"It is not my job to assess your own business environment. My job is to inform the consumers," said the minister.

The average reduction in food prices was seven per cent when compared with the last grocery prices survey done on December 18 and 19 of last year.

The minister said supermarkets within the rural areas will continue to be surveyed along with those in the Corporate Area. The next parish in which supermarkets will be surveyed is St Catherine. The results of that survey will be published in the next two weeks.

For more on the survey of grocery items, visit the CAC website at http://www.consumeraffairsjamaica.gov.jm/