Flour and butter – "in one hand"

A restriction on flour and sunflower oil has been introduced in large supermarket chains in Greece.

This is the first clear sign that the invasion of Ukraine, in addition to raising energy and fuel prices, may have a direct impact on the availability of these products in supermarkets.

As previously reported by the publication iefimerida.grper day the retail price of flour increased by 0.25 euros per kilogram, and from the beginning of hostilities in Ukraine to the present moment, the price of wheat has increased by 19%.

According to the OECD, since the beginning of the unfolding of the situation in Ukraine, food prices have increased by an average of 6%. Wheat, however, rose by 90%, putting small bakeries at risk of closing (or a fabulous increase in the price of bakery products). At the same time, corn has risen in price by 40%.

Today, those consumers who shop online at a supermarket find that there is a restriction on certain categories of goods.

In one of the largest supermarket chains in Greece, a consumer can buy up to 4 bottles of sunflower oil and up to 4 bags of flour.

Another supermarket chain, which explains in a circular that “under normal conditions, a consumer can buy up to 99 pieces of each product,” has set a limit of 3 bags for flour.

In the online store of the same network, more than half of the categories of sunflower oil are not available for ordering. And those that are commercially available are limited to 3 bottles.

A third supermarket chain currently has softer restrictions on flour. Specifically, you can purchase 6 large or 12 medium packs. However, for sunflower oil, the “ceiling” is set at 4 bottles.

The situation as it stands is heightening fears of hazards such as artificial scarcity and price hikes. Information is already circulating on the market about the warehouses of suppliers who “hold back” sunflower oil in order to put it out later, when “the price skyrockets”.

To eliminate this dishonest phenomenon, the Ministry of Development requested the launch of a special platform, which, in fact, will control the stocks of cereals and sunflower oil. This is the same method that was used during the pandemic for masks and antiseptics, on which experts tried to make huge profits.

“In this way, we will ensure that there is no artificial shortage or a sharp jump in prices. We will know exactly the reserves that exist in the country. It is a matter of time,” said an official from the Ministry of Development and Investment.

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