Major Dutch brewery Heineken has announced that beer prices could soon increase as a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the rising cost of production.
The news comes two months after the brewery confirmed that the prices of their beer would be increased in order to keep up with the rising Dutch inflation rate. Now, almost two months after Russia invaded Ukraine, Heineken has warned customers that they may soon have to fork over a little extra cash for a biertje.
Nicknamed the breadbasket of Europe, Ukraine’s role as a key exporter of grain means producers have faced rising costs for ingredients. Heineken said that the crisis in Ukraine, combined with the European energy crisis and the rising cost of gas and electricity, has forced the company to increase prices to keep up with growing costs.
It’s not yet clear what this will mean for customers, but shoppers in the Netherlands have already faced rising prices across various products and services. According to figures published by Statistics Netherlands (CBS), food prices increased by 6,2 percent between March 2021 and last month, while fuel prices rose by 36,5 percent over the same period.