Despite the fact that Volyn produces twice as much sugar as its annual need for it, it has still sharply risen in price.
At local markets, the average price per kilogram has already exceeded UAH 4. The cost of the sweet product has jumped even higher in wholesale stores, where food prices had always been relatively moderate. In particular, in stores of the "Volynpak" system, a kilogram of sugar costs almost UAH 5.
Commenting on the situation on the sugar market in the region, head of the regional economics department Lyubov Ivevakova noted that in the region, from the end of January and in the first half of February, there was a clear trend toward rising sugar prices in the retail network. During this period, the average price at collective farm markets increased by more than 5.5 percent. This means that in the region the average price level rose more than in Ukraine as a whole.
This fact is a kind of paradox. After all, according to the main economics department, the compiled balance of sugar stocks and consumption shows that there is currently enough of this product in the region. Both for the needs of the population and for processing enterprises. In particular, the annual need for sugar for Volyn is 50,000 tonnes. And more than 114,000 tonnes were produced in the region, which has four powerful sugar plants.
Economists and local analysts explain the cause of this paradox with one thing - hidden buying up of sugar by certain structures, which gave rise to price hysteria. The ultimate goal of wholesalers is to send the bought-up sugar to Russia, where prices for it are significantly higher than in our state. Therefore, the introduction of licensing for the export of sugar from Ukraine is timely and necessary, analysts believe.