Christmas is just around the corner and with it comes the holiday cookie season. You have to use fat to prepare it. People are more often looking for butter, which, however, has recently become much more expensive. You’ll also pay extra for the lard, but you can get the same amount for about half the price. Its producers are now barely able to meet the high demand.
The Czech Republic is currently being squeezed not only by high energy prices, but also, for example, by food. For example, more and more people are replacing expensive butter with lard. However, even that has become more expensive, and some producers warn that its price will soon equal that of butter.
“We are seeing a significant increase in demand from sellers for lard. The prices of raw materials for its production are steadily increasing, so I estimate that it will not be long before the price of lard and butter will return to the same level. We are going to a dead end, we should refuse a new client,” said the director of the TN .cz company Ivo Ligurský.
Reznictví Janus already has to refuse new orders. “The demand for lard at the moment is at least three times the average of previous years. Raw materials have become more expensive by one hundred percent, we have come down with the margins to satisfy the market. The price of lard largely depends on what will the energy prices be like next year,” says manager Miroslav Janus.
Piller CEO Tomáš Piller drew attention to energy prices. “For now, we don’t want the new fixed energy prices to be reflected in lard prices. However, if energy becomes more expensive, it will certainly be reflected in those prices. price of raw materials, but also the lack of them. Pork lard is missing pieces throughout the European Union,” he told TN.cz.
There is still enough lard in some shops
“We can confirm that in the last six months or so we have seen an increase in sales of lard. However, there is enough of all the goods in our stores,” informed the editorial staff Tomáš Kubík, spokesperson for Penny Market. At least until the end of the year, lard will also be available as standard in Tesco stores. “There is currently a large demand for lard across Europe, we have a contract with our supplier for sufficiently large volumes until the end of the year,” said Tesco spokesman Michal Kuzmiak.
“Compared to last year, we are experiencing a slightly lower butter sell-off and, conversely, a growing demand for margarines and lard. Regarding the availability of lard in our stores, we are in close contact with suppliers to ensure continuous supply to our customers and thus guarantee them a complete range of products,” said spokesman Tomáš Myler on behalf of the Lidl chain.
According to Albert Jiří Mareček, the shop’s communication director, there is a shortage of lard on the market. “The reason is the lack of raw materials for churning. Due to the approaching Christmas holidays, however, butter is now sold much more, at least in our shops,” he told TN.cz.
The Kaufland supply chain, on the other hand, does not register a significant increase in the demand for lard. “We have it on offer and there is enough stock,” added Renata Maierl from the corporate communications department.
Economist Štěpán Křeček warns of the most expensive Christmas in history:
TN.cz
