Estonians prefer to eat locally produced food

Text Susanna Poikela
Photo Andrei Chertkov

According to data released by supermarket chain Prisma, 2/3 of products in the average shopping basket were locally produced in the country. In some product groups such as meat, fish and ready-made products, Estonian produce made up as much as 80 per cent of all sales.

Kaimo Niitaru, Prisma’s Director of Selection and Procurement, explained that over the past four years, fresh meat and fish grown in Estonia, and locally prepared ready meals have been sold the most. For these products, Estonian food production accounted for up to 80 per cent of the total goods sold. Domestic dairy products and eggs are also popular (75 per cent). In addition, consumers also like drinks produced in Estonia (60 per cent).

“In October, we asked our regular customers about their shopping habits. The survey revealed that 79 per cent of respondents think that Estonian products are more expensive than foreign products, but despite that, more than half of the respondents want to support local producers,” added Niitaru.

64 per cent of the respondents to Prisma’s customer survey said they prefer products from Estonian manufacturers, and 68 per cent claimed that Estonian products make up at least half of the contents of the shopping basket. Domestic produce shopping baskets are especially preferred by middle-income and well-to-do consumers aged 50–59 and residents of Tartumaa and Ida-Virumaa.

“The most popular domestic product over the years has been, as expected, 2.5 per cent milk. We also see that price plays a special role in choosing milk. After milk comes sour cream and carbonated water,” added Niitaru.

The top 5 most purchased Estonian-made products in the last four years (by unit sales) are:

• Milk
• Sour cream
• Mineral water
• Coffee creamer
• Rye bread

To learn more about this and similar topics
Estonian Cuisine Estonian food fish products Food food price meat products Prisma Shopping