Food price rises

The UK is not ready for a significant increase in food prices and disruptions in the supply of a number of goods that may arise due to the conflict in Ukraine. Ian Wright, head of the UK cabinet's advisory council, said this in an interview published by The Independent on Sunday.

Ian Wright said in an interview: "I don't think the government is fully aware of the consequences of what is happening. The situation could become quite frightening with significant price increases and also in terms of food poverty."

He also added that he believes that many of those involved in the food industry believe that the government needs to focus on this issue as a matter of urgency, ensuring that the country gets the food it needs. As Ian Wright pointed out, this is a crisis on a larger scale than the energy crisis and if the government has plans in place, it needs to make more people aware of them.

However, because of the ongoing conflict, Ukraine is unable to export more than 25 million tons of stored grain. The world is also seeing rising prices of oil, fertilisers and feed, which is affecting the final cost of many products.

According to The Independent, on an annual average the UK meets 60% of its food needs by importing the remainder, but during the winter months the kingdom's share of food imports may already reach 60%.