Ajinomoto to hike prices for mayonnaise, other products by 6-10%

TOKYO – Ajinomoto said on Sept 9 it will raise prices for mayonnaise and other products by around 6 to 10 per cent from December, in a bid to pass on increased raw material costs amid the Middle East conflict.Mayonnaise products for household use are among the 21 products whose prices will be hiked for deliveries from Dec. 1.Ajinomoto’s competitor Kewpie also plans to raise retail prices of around 224 products shipped from Nov 1, including mayonnaise and dressings, by up to 25 per cent.Japanese households have been grappling with rising prices of everyday goods as heightened tensions in the Middle East have sent energy prices surging and the yen’s persistent weakness has inflated import costs for resource-poor Japan.Japan’s agriculture ministry said on Sept 9 it will hike the average price of imported wheat it sells to flour millers and other companies between October and March by 12 per cent from the previous six months.The increase reflects higher wheat prices, a weak yen and higher transportation costs amid the Iran war.A ton of wheat will be sold at 70,020 yen (S$580), exceeding the 70,000-yen threshold for the first time in 3½ years, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. KYODO NEWS