From the second half of 2022, Germany is facing a shortage of mustard due to a lack of mustard seeds for its production, the shortage is caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine, since these two countries provide a total of 80% of German imports of this agricultural raw material.
This opinion was expressed by Markus Weck, CEO of the German food industry association Kulinaria Germany, for the German edition Die Welt.
“There is already a shortage of raw materials for mustard. And in the coming weeks and months, the shortage will increase – up to complete supply disruptions. The shocks caused by the coronavirus pandemic are practically nothing compared to what is happening in the markets right now,” the publication quotes the Kulinaria CEO.
According to him, 80% of mustard seeds come to Germany from Ukraine and Russia, and its shortage is already forcing German mustard producers to reduce its production and raise prices for their products. Weck clarified that the prospects for the German mustard market remain uncertain until the end of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Sowing should take place in the next two weeks. However, this is unlikely in Ukraine, given the current situation. But this means that an important supplier of raw materials for mustard producers is lost in the summer. And whether Russia will then export goods is also unknown,” the expert explained.
The Kulinaria CEO stressed that German mustard producers will have enough stocks of raw materials for a period of several weeks to several months.
Mustard consumption in Germany is one of the highest in the world and is used to prepare a large number of German traditional dishes.
