Rusprodsoyuz announced possible interruptions in the supply of honey

There may be supply disruptions and honey shortages. This was reported to Izvestia on February 16 by the Rusprodsoyuz press service.

"The availability of key varieties has been sharply reduced, and purchase prices are rising at an accelerated pace. In the current season, early varieties of raw honey (chestnut, acacia) on the market ended much faster than usual; various varieties of floral herbs, usually available before spring, were in great short supply by the New Year, buckwheat - may end as early as February," the organization said.

They also noted that purchase prices for all types of honey have increased by 30-50% since September and continue to rise.

"Raw materials are becoming more expensive faster than retail chains are ready to accept the correction, and honey purchase windows from beekeepers are closing earlier, especially for varieties where there are almost no alternatives," the Rusprodsoyuz explained.

They clarified that the main reason for the significant rise in the price of raw honey is crop failure and weather anomalies in honey-bearing regions: drought in some regions, excess precipitation in others, instability during the flowering period of honey plants, recurrent frosts and subsidence in key honey plants.

"Additional pressure on prices is exerted by rising production costs, tax and non-tax burden on businesses. In particular, the increase in VAT to 22% increased the growth of costs along the entire chain — from packaging and logistics to processing and retail contracts. At the same time, retail chains do not accept minimal adjustments to selling prices along with confirmed cost calculations. This forces manufacturers to stop shipments at unprofitable prices," the manufacturers' association said.

This situation, according to the Rusarod Union, creates risks of honey shortages on the shelves of chains, an increase in honey adulteration, especially in low price segments, as well as the withdrawal of bona fide producers from the market. Over the past year, 2 notable honey processors have already left the market, the association said.

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