Slovakia is worried it could be caught up in a looming Christmas butter shortage crisis, The Slovak Spectator reported on September 5.

A 125-gramme pack of butter in Slovakia cost €1.01 on average in June, up one-fifth from June 2016's €0.84, Slovak Statistics Office data shows.

In the Czech Republic, butter shortages are already apparent. Daily Mlada fronta DNES reported on August 5 that some stores are limiting the number of packages of butter that customers may buy.

The head of a Danish dairy producer explained to Reuters on September 4 that there is a shortage of fat, cream and butter products everywhere in Europe.

“It will not be at all possible to meet demand in the run-up to Christmas,” Peder Tuborgh, CEO of Danish-based dairy co-operative Arla Foods, the seventh biggest dairy in the world, reportedly warned. “It is these forces that are significantly dragging up prices,” he added

Retail chains Billa and Kaufland have, however, told Slovak media that they do not have any difficulties buying enough milk or butter.

During the last two years, farmers in Slovakia have cut the number of dairy cows by one-tenth because they were unable to compete with imported cheap milk from abroad after the cancellation of milk quotas, the Spectator added.

What's more, summer is traditionally a poor period for milk production as it contains less fat and dairies consequently need more milk to produce the same amount of butter, the daily added.

Consumers, meanwhile, are apparently starting to show a preference for butter over margarine again, contributing to price increases.