Inflation is accelerating. According to the State Statistics Service, in March, consumer prices rose by 6.2%, but certain food products rose in price by 15-25%.
The State Statistics Service reported an increase in consumer prices in Ukraine. According to the agency, in Ukraine in March compared to February, the prices of fruits rose the most — by 21.3% and vegetables — by 15.5%. The State Statistics Service announced this in its latest express release. In general, food and non-alcoholic beverages rose in price by 6.2%. This is quite a lot — back in February, growth in this group was at the level of 2.4%, reports the Chronicle.info with reference to Focus.
The National Bank spoke about the acceleration of price growth, even commenting on the data for February: & # 171; First of all, food and fuel prices have skyrocketed due to excessive demand and disruption of supply chains», the NBU noted.
Juicy and expensive: how prices for vegetables and fruits change
In February Compared to January, the prices of vegetables rose the most — by 12.1%. In March, prices for vegetables went up even more — by 15.5%, and fruits — by 21.3%.
The Focus journalist compared the amounts in checks as of mid-January, February and March. It turned out that there was a very noticeable increase in prices for many items.
How much vegetables cost in Kyiv stores
- In January, a short-fruited cucumber cost 71.49 UAH/kg in Kyiv supermarkets, now it is the cheapest in the same store variant of cucumbers — 86 UAH/kg, and this is at a discount. More often cucumbers can be found in supermarkets at a price of 110-140 UAH/kg.
- Yellow tomatoes in January cost about 140 UAH/kg, and now — 250 UAH/kg.
- Zucchini in January cost 66.99 UAH/kg, now this product is not in the same metropolitan supermarket, but in Lviv the price is 139 UAH/kg.
- Beijing cabbage is out of the general trend: in January it cost 47.19 UAH/kg, and now in the same Kiev store — 38 UAH/kg.
Gleb Vyshlinsky, executive director of the Center for Economic Strategy, explained the increase in vegetable prices as follows: «Usually, January and February are the coldest months, at which time vegetables grown in greenhouses naturally rise in price. This year, in Ukraine and abroad, the price of gas has risen sharply. Because of this, Ukrainian greenhouse production almost stopped, prices rose very much. We switched to Turkish vegetables, because it was warmer in Turkey and less gas was needed for climatic reasons».
The price increase for fruits is also noticeable
Fruit prices have gone up too. In the January bill, the price of a banana was UAH 30.99/kg, a month later it was UAH 32.89, and in March bananas in Lviv cost UAH 39.59. In the issue of rising prices for vegetables and fruits, one should not exclude the military factor. Under conditions of a closed sky and blocked ports, imports can only come by trucks from the EU, and not directly from Turkey or Egypt.
Long logistics affect prices — they grow.
Cereals, milk, meat: prices grow
Other goods have noticeably risen in price in March: a kilogram pack of buckwheat in a check for February 20 cost 47.49 UAH, and now in Lviv you can buy buckwheat by weight for 53.5 UAH/kg.
Pasta made in Italy or Turkey also rose in price: if in mid-February they were sold in large networks for 28-38 UAH. for a pack weighing 450-500 grams, then in mid-March (and now) the price is 42-58 UAH. However, there are also regional peculiarities — the farther a large grocery store is from a war zone, the more discounts can be and the more profitable promotions for certain goods.
The National Bank in March, commenting on the data for February, noted that dairy products and meat products became more expensive due to increased cost of raw materials and delivery. Please note that the more expensive imported products — coffee, chocolate, fish products and dried fruit. This is explained by the weakening of the course hryvnia and the problems with the delivery of these products to Ukraine.
changed and the price of meat. The most insignificant fluctuations — in the prices of chicken, and the most tangible — in the price of veal , which is a 180-220 UAH per kg in some networks has risen to 280-350 UAH/kg
.However, it should be borne in mind that a real crisis has occurred in the animal husbandry of Ukraine due to hostilities in a number of regions.
Dangerous spring. What risks does the war pose for food security
Executive Director of the analytical center CASE-Ukraine Dmitry Boyarchuk is optimistic about the situation with food products. He is sure: despite the war, Ukraine is not in danger of famine.
«Even after all these hostilities, our agriculture almost did not suffer. We had a great harvest last year. Even if some warehouses with agricultural products are destroyed, I think that this is an insignificant part, especially when compared with the cost of missiles fired at them», says Boyarchuk.
The expert adds that there are enough reserves in Ukraine feed for livestock to obtain dairy and meat products.
«The problem is not that these products are not available, but that we cannot export them due to blocked ports. And this is not a problem for us, but for the world. Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, as well as China and India» depend on such supplies,» Boyarchuk sums up.
However, a protracted war still does not bode well for either the Ukrainian consumer or the countries that traditionally buy from Ukrainian suppliers of grain, meat and sunflower oil. Since the role of Ukraine in global food security is very large. After all, Ukraine is the fifth largest supplier of wheat in the world. In addition, Ukraine is the world's largest producer and exporter of sunflower oil.