THE soaring price of sunflower oil due to supplies being hit by the war in Ukraine could force a local crisp producer to put its prices up.

That’s the warning from Two Farmers Crisps of Peterstow near Ross-on-Wye, who say they have just paid a ‘colossal’ 145 per cent more for an oil consignment than 18 months ago.

Russia and Ukraine supply most of the world’s sunflower oil, and the war is having a significant impact on the market, they say.

And while Two Farmers - founded by potato growers Mark Green and Sean Mason four years ago - is currently holding its prices, the duo admit they may be forced in the long term to pass the rise onto customers.

Eighteen months ago, a 1,000-litre container cost £980 - last week it cost £2,400.

Sean told the BBC: “We're trying to ride it through at the minute and hold our price in without increasing it if we possibly can.

"But long term, if it continues at this price or continues to increase, then this probably... [we'll] have to pass on."

He said the business, which prides itself on being eco-friendly, has obtained oil stores to "keep us going” for the next two months “but the price increase has been colossal".

The farmer said costs "across everything that we use" were rising, including packaging.

But he added: "What we're suffering is very small compared to what the people of Ukraine are suffering."

The Little Pengethley Farm business evolved over a pint and a bag of crisps in 2018 when the two farmers hatched a plan to turn their own Peterstow potatoes into the crunchy snack.

It has put the crunch on the nation’s big name crisp producers and recently made two appearances on television, including Gregg Wallace's Inside the Factory on BBC2.

With flavours like Hereford bullshot, salt and Two Farmers cider vinegar, lightly salted, and Hereford hop cheese and onion, they say their hand-cooked crisps celebrate local ingredients whilst causing minimal impact to the environment.

For more information, see twofarmers.co.uk and their Facebook page.