Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
Prices for winter varieties of apples are higher on 50% than in the previous year in Cherkasy oblast
Serhiy Strokan, Market Information Specialist of Cherkasy AMP (Agricultural Marketing Project) office, informs that harvesting time for winter varieties of apples has nearly come to an end in Cherkasy oblast. According to the farmers' opinion, the apple harvest is not bad this year, but often the quality of apple commodities is worse comparing to the previous year. This year apples are damaged by fungus diseases (scab, fruit rot) and pests.
As a result the share of fresh market apples will be lesser, and the price factors for quality apples will be higher than in the previous year. At the same period of time in 2003 quality apples were sold by retail on USD $ 0.28-0.47/kg in Cherkasy oblast; this year price is USD $ 0.37-0.75/kg. The majority of specialists of the oblast fruit and vegetable market are common to think that there will be no further price decrease, especially for quality commodities.
AMP information. According to the official statistics data, the apple production leaders in Ukraine are Vinnitsa and Zakarpattya oblasts. We should note that in the recent years Cherkasy oblast farmers have been actively establishing apple orchards; they use low stocks of such modern varieties as Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Jonagored, Aidared; in most cases the farmers apply drip irrigation that ensures apple yield of 30-50 tons/ha in terms of adherence to the specific agricultural technologies.