Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
Ukraine: citrus consumption grows despite inexpensive apples
Citrus consumption in Ukraine in autumn 2013 was record high despite extremely low prices of apples. Ukraine's citrus imports in September-November 2013 reached 109,000 tons, an increase of 38% year-on-year.
“As a rule, citrus fruits compete with bananas and apples in the Ukrainian market”, says Ms. Tetiana Getman, Head of Fruit-Inform. “However, low prices of apples and bananas this autumn did not lead to lower imports due to early start of shipments of relatively inexpensive mandarins and other citrus fruits from Turkey and other Northern Hemisphere countries, high prices for potatoes and vegetables and stable UAH rate, which also favored imports to the disadvantage of exports”.
Mandarins accounted for 60% of Ukraine's total citrus imports in autumn 2013. The shares of oranges and lemons stood at 16% each, and grapefruits accounted for another 8%.
Turkey, South Africa and Argentina were the main citrus exporters to Ukraine. Significant volumes of citrus fruits of South Europe origin were also re-exported through Poland.