ATHENS – Greece’s Agriculture Ministry said the production of sunflower oil suddenly in short supply as one effect of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, price hikes and supply chain problems, could be ramped up if needed.

Most supermarkets have set limits on how many bottles or liters can be purchased at a time by customers, the product also in big demand for restaurants and taverns, some of which are cutting back on making foods such as French Fries it was said.

The are no real food shortages in the country, the ministry said in a statement, although just reporting the possibility has seen some goods flying off shelves as people stock up and try to hoard in case there is.

Greece imports sunflower oil from Ukraine and gets some 250,000 tones of soft wheat from Ukraine and Russia, about 30 percent of its imports of the product which isn’t being gathered during the war.

“The Agriculture Minister noted that there is always a possibility of increasing domestic production, while improving the distribution between biofuel use and domestic use can further help increase the quantities available for consumption,” the ministry said, without providing further details, said Reuters and the state-run  Athens-Macedonia News Agency AMNA.

Agriculture Minister Georgios Georgantas also stated that Greece does not import the majority of its cereals from Ukraine and its supply chains remain unaffected by the ongoing crisis, the paper said.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chaired the meeting, which included discussions on market efficiency, food security, international factors affecting agricultural products, supplies, energy and its effect on production costs.

The government asked suppliers, such as supermarkets and other food retailers, to declare stockpiles of products including flour, grains, fertilizers, animal food, sunflower and other vegetable oils.