This year cost of the main New Year meal will be 4% less for the Ukrainians than the previous year and will amount to 79 UAH/serving piece (≥3kg). According to the UCAB price monitoring, this year the cost of salad is lower owing to significant price decrease of vegetables, for instance, potato lost 47% in value and its price reduced to 3.7 UAH/kg, carrots lost 65% in value and its price reduced to 4 UAH/kg, onions lost 60% in value amounting to 4.30 UAH/kg. This is due to the increased production of vegetables (+ 3%) up to 8.6 million tons. The price for eggs reduced by 12% as well and constitute up to UAH 20.6 per 10 pcs. The latter was caused by reduction of export volumes in a light of epizootic situation in the country.

The price of canned peas and mayonnaise has scarcely changed. The price of sausage increased by 2% amounting to 60.4 UAH/kg and the price of pickled cucumbers increased by 18% amounting to 26 UAH/can. The value of processed products rose under the influence of increased cost of production resources as well as price increase for raw materials. The cost of beef in December this year is 1% higher than the previous year, the cost of pork increased by 3% and poultry - by 8%. ‘This year ingredients for the salad have scarcely changed their price since the gross yield of vegetables is higher than the previous year. Panic among manufacturers and the population in view of the fluctuations in the hryvnia exchange rate reduced, and the level of purchasing power remains low. In addition, the market operators have observed the absence of excessive demand for meat of the processing plants. We cannot preclude the possibility of short-term rise of meat prices under the influence of demand growth due to completion of Christmas fast, and yet in the second decade of January the prices for meat are going to reduce’, informed Yevhen Dvornik, Adviser on Agricultural Market.