Fiona Govan
SPANISH supermarkets have taken steps to ration the sale of sunflower oil amid stockpiling by customers fearing a shortage as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Owing to the situation in Ukraine, there are some problems with the supply of sunflower oil. For this reason, purchases are limited to three one-litre bottles or one five-litre bottle per customer per day.” said signs that appeared in SuperCor supermarkets on Wednesday.
Mercadona, Spain’s largest supermarket chain, Consum and Makro said they were also limiting purchases to five litres per customer.
The decision to place a limit on purchases per customer came amid reports of ‘panic buying’ amid fears that supplies wound be disrupted with the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
Ukraine is the world’s biggest supplier of sunflower oil and represents 14% of global vegetable oil supplies according to analysts.
Lidl’s director of operations in Spain urged calm but admitted sunflower was a victim of the same sort of ‘hysteria’ that hit toilet roll sales at the outbreak of the pandemic, when people stockpiled supplies.
“There are people who never even use sunflower oil who are now buying it in bulk,” he told Europa Press. “Now is not the time to buy it if you are not doing to use it.”
READ MORE:
- OPINION: How Ukraine resistance in face of Russian invasion recalls famous Spanish Civil War cry of ‘No pasaran!’
- Spain included in Russia’s ‘hostile list’ in revenge for sanctions following Ukraine invasion
