Despite the stabilization, the expectation of inflation remained elevated. According to official forecasts, the government expects an increase of 5-7%. However, some experts talk about 30-40% and a new wave of price increases.
The increase in prices for vegetables and fruits is due to the increase in their storage cost. The war and adverse weather conditions in the fall caused a deficit of some vegetables. For example, about a third of onions and a quarter of carrots were grown in the Kherson region. The occupation and hostilities led to the loss of almost the entire harvest.
Meanwhile, autumn rains affected the quality of onions, which deteriorated quickly. Therefore, Ukraine is forced to import them from Poland, Egypt, the Netherlands, and Moldova, which increases the cost of logistics, and the price of imported vegetables is rising accordingly.
Due to the high prices for electricity and gas, as well as the frequent power outages, most greenhouse farms in Ukraine have stopped operating. Causing the prices of tomatoes, cucumbers, and radishes to rise rapidly.
The insufficient supply of mushrooms and greens also keeps their prices at a high level.
At the same time, prices for potatoes and cabbage remain unchanged. Young cabbage has started to appear in Ukraine, which means that Ukrainian farmers are ready to grow greenhouse vegetables, despite the problems caused by the war.
The increase in the prices of domestic vegetables and fruits at the beginning of spring also has a seasonal factor because some of the fruits perished during storage.
Sources (Russian): rbc.ua / ua.korrespondent.net