A leading food industry boss has warned that prices will rise as a result of the war in Ukraine.
Ronald Kers, chief executive of food company 2 Sisters, told the BBC food costs could rise by as much as 15% this year.
He added that the price the company pays for farm-raised chicken has skyrocketed.
Russia and Ukraine are among the world’s largest suppliers of wheat, and exports are expected to be affected by the conflict.
In addition, gas prices, which are used to heat greenhouses and produce fertilizers essential to food production, have skyrocketed.
The war in the region is likely to exacerbate prices, which have already been rising during what has been dubbed the cost-of-living crisis, according to some experts.
2 Sisters employs over 14,000 people in the UK and specializes in poultry and chilled food.
Its chief executive told the BBC’s Today program that it has already been forced to pay 50% more for the chicken it gets from farms.
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He suggested that if the war goes on for months, “it basically means that as a country we might have to start importing less and producing more ourselves”.
“We need to work with all supply chain partners to find a solution… it’s a very complex issue.”
It comes just after the National Farmers Union (NFU) warned that food production could be hit, hampering in-store food affordability for years.
In a letter to the government last week, she called for urgent help for the farmers.
“The government must act now, with a clear signal that food security is a priority for the nation,” the NFU said.
NFU President Minette Batters also told the BBC last week that the rising costs of producing fruit, vegetables and meat could mean farmers earn less when the nation needs more.
“I think the whole world needs to realize that we’ve never seen anything like this before, we’re going to see wheat price inflation like we’ve never seen,” she said.
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