Demand for flour and edible oils in Germany has risen sharply since Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, according to data from the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
Fearing that the war would lead to a reduction in the supply of wheat and sunflower oil from Ukraine and the Russian Federation, buyers began to actively stock up on flour and oil, emptying the shelves with these goods in supermarkets, the Financial Times writes.
As Destatis notes, many retailers have been forced to limit sales of flour and butter due to high demand.
Estimates of the department show that demand rose sharply already in the week of February 21-27. At the same time, butter sales for the week from March 7 to March 13 were 123% higher than six months ago, and flour sales were 206% higher than the level of September 2021.
In the week of March 14-20, sales growth slowed down somewhat, but they still remain high, given that there are no signs of possible interruptions in supplies, Destatis notes.
Ukraine and the Russian Federation are major global suppliers of wheat, sunflower oil and a number of other agricultural crops. Ukraine accounts for half of world exports of sunflower oil, while Russia accounts for 21%.
