May 6 2011, 10:29 Fruit-Inform

White cabbage shortage developed Ukrainians' taste to lettuce

According to Fruit-Inform Project, current season's white cabbage shortage made Ukrainians pay attention to possible alternatives to this product such as leaf and head lettuce, potherbs, and Chinese cabbage.

As a result, Ukraine's imports of leaf and head lettuce increased more than 2 times in the first quarter of 2011, and cumulative imports in the first 10 months of the season 2010/11 showed year-on-year growth of 80%. Moreover, this was a record imported volume over all history of independent Ukraine.

Fruit-Inform Project's analysts think that, even notwithstanding expected sharp decrease of white cabbage prices in the new season, lettuce and potherb consumption will remain rather high due to many consumers having for the first time tasted these products and planning to buy them in future. This gives excellent opportunities for Ukrainian producers to widen their presence in such a segment of fruit and vegetable business as growing and marketing of fresh lettuce and potherbs. Producers show a special interest to growing of early and late lettuce which are especially highly valued in the Ukrainian market.