Does the demand for salt increase during Easter? In recent years, prices have tripled / Article

Official statistics show that the price of salt has increased almost three times in the last three years. In 2021, a kilogram of coarse salt cost 46 cents, but in 2023 it was already one euro and 17 cents.

Have buyers noticed the rise in salt prices? This is what Latvian Radio asked residents they met on the streets of Riga.

“I haven’t noticed, I probably spent too little. I guess the price of salt wasn’t that high. If it was different, I would have noticed. Easter is still ahead. You ask such a question that arouses my interest.”

“I have noticed, but there are more of them and they are different. Everyone has their own belief. The main thing is to have a good time and not to break the eggs.”

“No, I don’t buy it, my daughter does. You shouldn’t eat salt, as little as possible because salt is harmful.

“I’ve saved up salt from my travels. I have sea salt. I like it very much, so I rub it on and it’s good for me. Better with salt than mosquitoes.”

Inga Ansone, the sales director of “Latvijas sălų trässke kompaniya” admitted that the prices of salt have doubled and even tripled. Why did it happen?

“All this can be explained by geopolitical conditions. As a result, energy prices rose – for electricity, gas, oil. All these three parameters most directly affect the price of salt. And most importantly, at the moment after the start of the war in 2022, the supply of salt to Ukraine was stopped due to that factories [atrašanās vietā] There is hostilities in the Donetsk region. Consequently, the supply of salt, which was very cheap and was on our market for 50-60 years, was stopped,” Ansone knew how to tell.

The situation was also affected by the agitation that started after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and many people bought salt. Consequently, the Latvian salt trading company had to look for new suppliers. Knowing the conservative consumer and his desire for coarse salt, which is contrary to European consumption trends, where fine salt is mainly used, the company managed to find a new cooperation partner from Germany, whose product meets the wishes of Latvian residents. Currently, salt from Lithuanian and Polish suppliers is also available on the market.

The prices of salt for European producers were already higher than those of Ukraine, and additional costs were added and the price increased by 100-110%, thus the prices also increased in stores. Compared to other countries, salt in Latvia is cheaper than in Germany, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Major retailers indicated that salt prices have stabilized recently. “Maxima Latvija” communications manager Liene Dupate-Ugule emphasized that although changes in salt prices were observed since the beginning of 2022, they have stabilized for more than a year. In the pre-Easter period, the demand for salt has not increased, but similar to previous years, a higher demand for salt can be observed precisely in the summer season, when residents carry out canning works.

How do salt price changes affect food producers?

“Currently, Orkla Latvija cooperates with a salt producer in Austria, who is able to provide the necessary volumes for production. If we look at costs, with the market changes that happened with the war in Ukraine, salt prices changed, but at the moment we do not observe any significant changes in salt prices that could affect production costs,” said Laura Bagātā, representative of Orkla Latvija, the owner of the Spilvas brand.

Cooperation with the current salt supplier is stable, she added.

Is there any hope that salt prices could change downwards? Inga Ansone, the sales director of “Latvijas sāls prādas kompanija” sees no basis for such a scenario: “As long as war is going on in many places, the economy, its conditions are all such that prices go up. However, we can say that now [cena] is stable, but whether it will go down, I think not.”

During the holidays, we can follow folk beliefs and pour salt on eggs as much as we like, but we should also remember the recommendations of doctors to use salt in moderation.