Where did the heaps of butter go?

The game on the food market has changed – food is starting to get scarce. A statement by a South Bohemian dairy boss that butter will cost „at least 60 crowns“ when the New Year hits has made headlines. We now know that it was more of an experimental announcement than an opinion grounded in serious information. However, what we also know is that food prices have gone up. Farmers, food producers and retailers are arguing over who's to blame, but each group will profit from the price hike. One question remains: How deep will the scars be for the rest of us?

It was impossible to overlook the price jump on supermarket shelves. While in July Czechs could purchase 250 grams of butter for less than CZK 20, now it's selling for double that, and prices should continue rising. A similar scenario, though not as dramatic, applies to all dairy products, and in the coming weeks bakers are also expected to announce price increases. Apart from the changing price tags, it was also impossible to overlook the outspokenness of food producers, which has even caught the ever self-confident retail chains by surprise. And it is the food producers' role that economists consider key – thanks to tight competition and the threat of cheaper imports from abroad, they were the ones who put the brakes on inflation, and in general food prices have actually risen only a little. Statistics show that the price of…