According to estimates by the retail sector, food prices in Germany should continue to rise significantly.
Even before the outbreak of the Ukraine war, prices "across the product range" had risen by a good five percent, said Josef Sanktjohanser, President of the German Retail Association (HDE), the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" on Friday.
This was the result of increased energy costs.
"The second wave of price increases is coming, and it will certainly be in the double digits," said Sanktjohanser.
The first retail chains have already started to raise prices.
“We will soon be able to see this on the price tags everywhere in the supermarkets.” “For the time being, there will be no more sustained downward movement in prices,” said Sanktjohanser.
Retail chains such as Aldi, Edeka and Globus had recently announced price increases.
"Wave not yet reached consumers"
Farmer's President Joachim Rukwied said that the food supply was secured for the foreseeable future for a year.
"But beyond that time horizon, it's difficult to forecast."
At the level of the Central Coordination for Trade and Agriculture (ZKHL), the leading trade and agricultural industry associations exchange views on the consequences of the Ukraine war.
ZKHL Managing Director Hermann-Josef Nienhoff said the current wave of price increases has not yet reached consumers.
The ZKHL was brought into being after persistent protests from the agricultural sector against the pricing policy of the trading groups.