Food prices in Slovakia (Slovakia) risk increasing: farmers face a significant reduction in the harvest of key crops in 2026. According to the Statistical Office of Slovakia (Statistické úrady Slovenska), the grain harvest may decrease by 16% compared to last year, wheat by 15%, and corn by as much as 39%. The situation with sugar beets is even worse: their production may fall by 53%.
Causes of poor harvest and impact on the European market
The main reason is bad weather, specifically drought and high temperatures that covered most of Central and Western Europe. For example, although the areas under corn have hardly changed, yields fell from 8.2 to 5 tons per hectare — a 29% drop over the last five years. In the case of sugar beets, drought was accompanied by a reduction in sowing areas by almost a third in one year.
Harvest problems have arisen not only in Slovakia (Slovakia). The European Monitoring Service MARS (Monitoring Agricultural Resources) in its July report lowered the harvest forecasts for all crops in 2026 for the entire EU and warned that estimates could worsen further. This means that imports, which could cover the deficit, are unlikely to prevent price increases this year, as other European countries face the same problems.
Rising raw material prices and forecast for consumers
Agricultural goods are already noticeably becoming more expensive on European markets. November futures for corn on the Euronext exchange cost about 272 euros per ton — about 40% more than at the beginning of the year. December contracts for food wheat trade around 251 euros per ton, which is a quarter more expensive than at the start of the year. The price of white sugar has also risen by about 25% and is about 525 dollars per ton.
Although no sharp price jumps are forecast yet, lower production and more expensive raw materials will gradually shift costs to processors, stores, and ultimately to buyers. This will be more noticeable for wallets if high raw material prices persist for the next few months. For Ukrainians in Slovakia (Slovakia), this means preparing for possible price increases in basic food products.
What this means for Ukrainians in Slovakia
Inflation in Slovakia (Slovakia) slowed to 3.3% in July 2026, and vegetables and fruits even became cheaper. However, if raw material prices continue to rise due to poor harvest, this may cancel out the previous price reductions. We advise monitoring price trends and, if possible, buying in large supermarkets such as Tesco, Lidl, Metro, Billa, Kaufland, where promotions and discounts are more frequent.
Source: barikada.sk
