April 4 2014, 10:11 Fito-Mag

Russia: lower demand for Moldovan apples

Moldovan apple growers are unsatisfied with exports in the current season. The demand for their produce in Russia has been going down since the second half of winter with negative performance still being in effect. Due to that, Moldovan farmers have not managed to raise export prices of apples yet, despite closer end of the season.

“Apple exports to Russia are not high for the present. Furthermore, the demand for Moldovan apples in the Russian market has fallen by about a third compared with spring 2013”, a Moldovan exporter comments. “In view of these developments, Moldova has to seek new export markets. Small volumes of Moldovan apples are now shipped to Kazakhstan and Romania. However, those shipments do not compensate an overall problem with sales”.

Nevertheless, the official statistical data show that Moldova managed to expand its presence in the Russian apple market thanks to higher shipments in the first half of the season. Russia's imports of apples of Moldovan origin reached 155,000 tons in July 2013 – February 2014, an increase of 5% year-on-year.