November 11 2010, 15:00 Fruit-Inform

Imports of bananas to Ukraine in 2010 to be the lowest for the last 6 years

As to analysts of Fruit-Inform, in 2010, imports of bananas to Ukraine may decrease comparing with 2009 by 10% to 205 thousand tonnes. This is going to be the lowest import level since 2005 when import tariffs on bananas were lowered.

It should be also noted that imports of bananas is decreasing in Ukraine for the third year in a row. The highest import volumes of almost 300 thousand tonnes were registered in 2007. Notwithstanding the situation going to a setting up a new record in 2008, sharp devaluation of Ukrainian currency led to sharp decrease of imports in the last months of the year. Since then, retail prices for bananas were stably higher than for apples that negatively impacted consumption of bananas.

In 2010, besides problems with Ukrainians' spending capacity and competitiveness with cheaper fruits, such as apples, imports of bananas were negatively influenced also by problems at Ukrainian customs that were given a task to close gaps in failed state budget by any possible means. As a result, according to importers, customs began to overstate a real value of a product manyfold to collect more taxes. This led to growth of retail prices and further decrease of Ukrainians' spending capacity.

More detailed information about prospects of imports of fruit and vegetable produce to Ukraine will be announced in course of work of the seventh international conference ”Vegetables and Fruit of Ukraine-2010”. This event will traditionally gather all leading experts and major enterprises of the sector and is to take place at “Ekspotsentr Ukrainy”, Kiev, on December 1-2, 2010.