May 30 2011, 15:17 Fruit-Inform

Fruit and vegetable prices keeping on decreasing in Ukraine

Fruit-Inform Project's fruit and vegetable index shows that last week fruit and vegetable prices have again decreased in Ukraine. Week-on-week decrease amounted to 2.0% thanks to growth in supply of early produce and greenhouse vegetables. Cumulative decrease of fruit and vegetable prices within 2 last weeks amounted to 5%.

The most significant contribution to fall of prices was made by greenhouse vegetables and berries. Greenhouse cucumber prices decreased by 35% last week thanks to growth in supply. At the same time, greenhouse tomato prices slightly grew as tomatoes from plastic greenhouses had not begun to enter the Ukrainian market yet.

There was also a significant slump of berry prices last week. Garden strawberries decreased in price by 38%, sweet cherries – by 33%. The sweet cherry season is only starting now. As to strawberries, they are beginning to be sold more and more actively and sharply replace apples, bananas and citrus in Ukrainians' consumption structure.

Prices of borsch vegetables (onions, cabbage, beets, carrots) did not practically changed last week notwithstanding growth in supply of early cabbage and root vegetables. “We expect the factor of early root vegetables actively entering the market to have a serious price influence already in the first week of June, when prices for them may decrease to the level of prices for last year's produce”, Andriy Yarmak, Head of Fruit-Inform Project, says.

More detailed information about new season's fruit and vegetable production and price prospects in Ukraine is available in the fundamental study Fruit and Vegetable Market of Ukraine-2011: Results and Forecasts for the Next Season which can be ordered at International Relations Department of Fruit-Inform Project by phone: +380 96 5836323 (Ievgen Kuzin), or via e-mail: [email protected].