Oil in Ukraine is already 25% more expensive than in Poland: food prices are getting closer to European levels

According to the latest report from the National Bank of Ukraine («Inflation Report»), food prices in Ukraine have increased by 79% compared to 2016. For comparison, in the European Union this figure is nearly twice lower – 46%.

This sharp gap can be explained by several factors: the COVID-19 pandemic, the war, as well as logistics and energy problems. Another important reason for rising prices in Ukraine is climate change, which has significantly reduced the harvest of grains and oilseeds.

Why is oil in Ukraine 25% more expensive than in Poland?

Vegetable oils are not just popular, but essential products included in the basic food basket. The NBU report highlights that Ukrainian households spend most of their income on food, as prices for cereals, vegetables, meat, milk, and other products are constantly rising.

Currently, the cost of vegetable oil in Ukraine is 20–25% higher than in Poland. The main reason is high production costs combined with almost no government support. For example, the VAT rate on food in Ukraine is 20%, while in Poland it is only 5%, and for some producers even 0%.

Adding currency instability (UAH vs. EUR), it becomes clear that the cost of living in Ukraine will keep rising in the long run.

It is not only vegetable oils that are becoming more expensive. Prices for dairy products, meat, and vegetables are also going up. Over the past years, imports of dairy and pork into Ukraine have increased 4.4 times, and this year imports of apples are 8 times higher than last year.

Global vegetable oil market trends

The global vegetable oil market is also facing challenges. On the one hand, demand has been steadily growing. On the other hand, production volumes are shrinking due to climate change, which has reduced the harvest of key oil crops: olives, corn, sunflower, and rapeseed.

Experts forecast that vegetable oil prices may almost double in the near future.

To reduce dependence on global markets and ensure 100% quality, it makes sense to produce cold-pressed oil at home. The process does not require industrial equipment – just a press, a container, and raw materials such as nuts, grains, or seeds.

CraftOil: natural oils and equipment for oil production

TM CraftOil offers a wide selection of craft oils and equipment for oil pressing. In the catalog, you will find: cold-pressed sunflower oil and corn oil, flaxseed oil, poppy seed oil, chia oil, hazelnut oil, almond oil, mustard oil and more.

For those who want to start oil production at home or as a business, CraftOil provides compact but powerful oil press machines (from 20 to 75 tons). They are easy to operate and allow you to produce healthy, flavorful, and truly «live» oils – perfect for nutrition and even homemade cosmetics.

CraftOil also offers a wide range of seeds and nuts for oil pressing, including: wite, black and yellow mustard seeds, brown and golden flax, white and black sesame, amaranth, apricot kernels, pumpkin seeds and more.

With just a few clicks, you can order everything you need to make your own oil. To learn more about oil-making opportunities or to find your perfect product, leave a request on our website.