Prices of buckwheat in Ukraine are high enough now / Photo from UNIAN
There are not so many exporters of this crop in the world.
Executive Director of the International Buckwheat Association Serhiy Hromovyi predicts prices of buckwheat in Ukraine may rise above last year's level.
"The old stocks are over, but new ones are not available yet. They will be threshed in about two weeks," he said, according to AgroPortal.ua.
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The expert says that there is a significant shortage of buckwheat groats on the market now.
"According to official statistics, buckwheat has been sown in Ukraine only half of the minimum requirement. Previously, it was imported from Russia, and this was our main problem," Hromovyi said.
Now Russia itself has suspended an increase in buckwheat production. Moreover, it rolled back in terms of the level of sown areas to a decade ago and slapped a ban on exports of buckwheat.
In general, there are not so many exporters of this crop in the world. In addition to Russia, it was Poland that sometimes acted as a supplier. There was also China. But they sell a completely different product that does not meet Ukrainian consumers' taste expectations.
"The prices of buckwheat on shelves are very high, they are UAH 35 (US$1.27) per kg and higher. And most likely, buckwheat will go up in price," he predicts.
Meanwhile, he notes, the current price is at the upper level of consumers' ability to buy.