Ukraine has recorded an unprecedented increase in garlic prices, which set a historical record in the national currency. Since mid-December, the cost of this product in stores has consistently exceeded 200 hryvnias per kilogram. This is a signal to both producers and consumers about the critical situation on the market.

According to EastFruit, the shortage of garlic in Ukraine is becoming increasingly noticeable. There is almost no quality product on the domestic market, and imported products are too expensive. The situation is influenced by both domestic problems and global trends covering the European and world markets.

Serhiy Shysh, director of the Euroshok group of companies, which specializes in garlic processing, noted that it is extremely difficult to find commercial batches of this product in Ukraine. “There is no constant cultivation in Ukraine. Only small batches of garlic from vegetable gardens remain, which have different quality and varieties. They are not even suitable for retail chains, let alone industrial processing,” the expert commented.

The situation with rising prices has several key reasons. First of all, there is a significant increase in demand for garlic in Europe, which automatically increased its price. In some EU countries, it reached 6 euros per kilogram, and in some cases it reaches 20 euros. This affected the cost of imported garlic, which becomes inaccessible to Ukrainian buyers.

In addition, the market suffers from an obvious shortage of the product. The supply of garlic remains limited and does not have time to meet the growing demand. This creates additional pressure on pricing both in the domestic and foreign markets.

The lack of a strategic approach to garlic cultivation in Ukraine exacerbates the problem. Without the systematic development of this segment of agriculture, the country loses the opportunity to provide its citizens with an affordable product, as well as the potential for export to profitable markets. Further price increases could make garlic virtually unaffordable for most Ukrainian consumers, which would negatively impact food production and economic stability.