Buckwheat continues to rise in price in Ukraine. Its price has doubled in a year. Experts expect further price increases, citing energy problems, according to the RBC-Ukraine news agency.
Against the backdrop of the general price increase, cereals have been the most noticeable this spring. The average price of buckwheat in April was over 71 hryvnia per kilogram ($1.60), compared to 54 hryvnia ($1.20) in March. Meanwhile, in September last year, a kilogram of this grain cost an average of 30 hryvnias (0.69 USD).
According to Oleg Pendzin, executive director of the Economic Discussion Club, the price increase is largely due to the cost of packaging, the production of which is becoming more expensive due to high energy and electricity prices.
According to Pendzin's calculations, the cost of a food basket increased by 9.5% by the end of May compared to last year. At the same time, according to RBC-Ukraine, food prices in the country increased by an average of 13.3% for the year from March 2025 to April 2026. Local experts note that if there are power outages, the average grocery bill could increase by another 15-25% in the summer.
In April, a sharp rise in the prices of buckwheat and rice due to rising fuel prices against the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East led to the disappearance of these cereals from stores, as people massively bought them up, fearing an even greater price increase. Videos of empty store shelves were posted on Ukrainian social media.
A shortage of peaches, apricots, early strawberries and cherries may begin in Ukraine due to frosts that have destroyed part of the upcoming harvest, according to Maksym Gopka, an analyst at the Ukrainian Agrarian Business Club.
“Due to the loss of the crop, apricots and peaches may become scarce, and their prices will depend on imports“.
According to another expert, Oleg Pendzin, executive director of the Economic Discussion Club, the market will find alternatives to these products through imports from Turkey and Central Asia, but low prices are not expected.
The agency notes that imported bananas have become the main fruit in Ukraine, as their price is almost half the price of Ukrainian apples.
In early May, Ukraine experienced significant temperature fluctuations. The weather ranged from unusually warm temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius or higher to record-breaking frosts. According to local media, some regions experienced absolute minimum temperatures.