December 22 2010, 09:24 Fruit-Inform

Cabbage is the most expensive component of borsch in Ukraine

According to information of Fruit-Inform Project, wholesale and retail prices for cabbage in Ukraine are currently at the record-breaking level. Moreover, this category is currently the most expensive in borsch (popular Ukrainian soup) set of vegetables, notwithstanding cabbage production costs are the lowest among traditional vegetables and potatoes.

As Andriy Yarmak, Head of Fruit-Inform Project, was quoted to say, situation in provision of Ukraine with cabbage is the most complicated among all traditional vegetables. “Cabbage is indigenously Slavic product, which is produced and consumed in large volumes only in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and Poland. Unfortunately, cabbage crop in these countries strongly suffered from abnormal climate conditions in 2010. As a result, already in late summer – early September producers had to harvest late cabbage varieties prematurely to satisfy current market demands. Hence, further decrease of volumes was experienced for produce for storage. It is difficult to import cabbage from other countries, as there are practically no available volumes there”, - A. Yarmak tells.

As of nowadays, farmgate prices for cabbage reach EUR 0.32-0.36/kg that is averagely 40-50% higher than a year earlier, when prices were record-breaking too. With a glance to growth prospects of prices for cabbage, it is possible that many Ukrainians will not be able to afford this vegetable category already in February-March of the following year.

On the other hand, there is also a good news for consumers, as cabbage industry is expecting production growth already in the next season that is going to result in considerable decrease of prices for cabbage.