How much will eggs cost for Easter: forecast of farmers and economists
31 March 12:35
Prices for holiday grocery basket items traditionally rise before Easter in Ukraine, and chicken eggs are one of these basic products. As the holiday is approaching, "Komersant Ukrainian" asked local experts what to expect from egg prices on the eve of Easter.
Economists and farmers interviewed by
Prices may rise before Easter
Denys Marchuk, deputy head of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council, explains that one of the factors affecting the egg market is seasonal fluctuations in supply and demand.
“In February and early March, the price jumped due to additional costs due to frost. The feed base was also quite expensive. Now, with the warm period, there will be more offers from households, because electricity costs will not be so significant,”
– he explains exclusively for
At the same time, Marchuk predicts that the price may increase before the holidays due to increased demand.
“I think that before the high demand, the supply will increase slightly in price, just before Easter,”
– the expert notes.
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Prices may drop after the holidays
According to Marchuk, after Easter, we can expect a decrease in the cost of eggs.
“And after Easter, on warmer days, there will be more supply, so prices will go down. Perhaps we can even predict a 20-30% reduction in prices,”
– he says.
Economist Andriy Novak, in turn, notes that egg pricing is determined by the balance between demand and competition among retailers.
“Today it is difficult to predict the trend in egg prices. On the one hand, they stabilized a few months ago, and on the other hand, such major holidays provoke increased demand, including for eggs and food in general,”
– explains Novak.
At the same time, the expert draws attention to the role of competition, which will not allow prices to rise.
“At this point, retail chains may decide that they need to earn a little more money and raise the price for the period of such increased demand. But, on the other hand, mutual very high competition does not allow to accelerate too much in this matter,”
– adds the economist.
He also notes that the alternative in the form of markets creates an additional deterrent.
“Moreover, in addition to the well-known retail chains, there are alternative ones, which we call bazaars. The supply there affects retail chains and prevents them from raising prices too much during the holidays,”
– emphasizes Novak.
Export growth but stable prices
Leonid Kozachenko, president of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation, also emphasizes that prices traditionally rise before Easter, but they are not excessive.
“There will be enough eggs, although they always become a little more expensive during this period because the demand for them increases sharply. But as a rule, it never exceeds about 10% of the price that was a month before the holiday. And then the price goes down immediately,”
– he notes.
Mr. Kozachenko also draws attention to the growth of exports, particularly to the United States, which also affects the market.
“Although a lot is exported now, including to the US, I don’t think it will hurt us much. The price increase cannot be more than 10% of the cost of eggs that we have now,”
– concludes the farmer.
Summary
Thus, on the eve of Easter, Ukrainians can expect a certain increase in egg prices due to rising demand, but it will not be very noticeable and should not exceed 10% of the current price. And after the holidays, eggs should become significantly cheaper. Competition factors and increased supply after Easter will help stabilize the market, experts say.
Читайте нас у Telegram: головні новини коротко
