Stock shortages: the price of a single product in Ukraine has hit an all-time high.

The price of garlic in Ukraine has reached record levels, and it is unlikely to decrease. This was reported by EastFruit on January 3.

It is noted that Ukraine does not have sufficient garlic reserves, and prices for this product in Europe are 1.5 times higher. Since mid-December 2024, the price of garlic has confidently crossed the mark of 200 hryvnias per kilogram.

"In hryvnias, this is an absolute record. Even during the pandemic, this vegetable was cheaper, as it was grown in large fields in some areas before the war," analysts pointed out.

Now there is no way to dampen the demand for garlic. Its import is prohibitively expensive, and even finding a couple of commercial batches in the country is challenging.

"It is very difficult to find even two tons of commercial garlic for domestic production. There is no continuous cultivation of it in Ukraine. Only small batches from gardens remain, of varying quality and varieties. They are not even suitable for retail chains. Let alone for industrial processing," — explained Sergey Shish, director of the Euroshock group of companies.

Several factors have contributed to the rise in garlic prices. Firstly, demand for it has increased in European countries, which is linked to the arrival of new immigrants, for whom garlic is an essential ingredient in their national cuisine. Currently, in Germany and Austria, its price averages around 6 euros, although it can be found for nearly 20 euros.

The second factor is that there isn’t enough garlic for everyone, meaning supply does not meet demand. Spain is the main producer of this product in the EU.

"This year, Spanish garlic producers have completely exhausted their stocks, which hasn't happened in the last three years. This was due to weather conditions, rising costs for hired workers and transportation. Now even alternative suppliers (from South America) have depleted their stocks, allowing prices to rise until the new season," — noted Denny Dean, a representative of the Dutch company Denimpex.

He reported that European suppliers have already exhausted their quotas for importing Chinese garlic, so now it is being imported with fines of 1200 euros per ton. This increases the price, yet people continue to buy.

Therefore, for Ukraine, imported garlic is too expensive, and there are not enough domestic reserves. According to State Statistics, since 2020, the area in the country where this product is grown has decreased by almost 15%. Cultivation is carried out by small and family farms, and experts do not rule out that official figures may be overstated.

"At least this year, I have not seen garlic fields larger than two hectares. However, before the war, there were fields of 50 and 70 hectares," — emphasized Shish.

It is noted that the main problem with garlic cultivation is the need to attract many workers. At the same time, over the past five years, no equipment has been imported into Ukraine that would allow for the mechanization of the process — not a single seeder, calibrator, or harvesting combine.

Recall that MP Nina Yuzhanina reported that "Ukrposhta" has introduced mandatory forced contributions for the needs of the Armed Forces. Additional payments will be made by all senders of parcels.

As of January 1, gas delivery payments have been recalculated in Ukraine. Ukrainians were explained how this will affect the amounts in their bills.