Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
Before the New Year holidays the most dramatic price increase was observed for greenhouse vegetables and also for grape, bananas and kiwi
According to evaluations made by Agricultural Marketing Project (AMP), the price increase for fruits and vegetables traditional for the New Year holidays was rather dramatic this year. It is caused by a number of factors, among which is the got-up of imported commodities because of currency exchange rate increase for euro and dollar, as well as supply shortening in connection with the political crisis in December.
That is why the price growth was the most evident for commodities which are mainly imported in Ukraine. According to AMP assessments, in December the retail price on bananas grew up nearly on 30%. Even more dramatic was the price increase on table grape - nearly on 50%. Still, price growth on table grape was also caused by poor harvest of this commodity observed this year in Ukraine. In December kiwi became more expensive in average on 22%, and lemons - on 6%.
It is interesting to mention that prices on oranges and tangerines have not grown up so significantly, and apple prices increased only on 4%. It was observed that a sufficiently great volume of apples was supplied on freshmarket from abroad (Moldova and Poland). Meanwhile apple prices were nearly twice higher than in the previous year.
Retail price growth on the major vegetables (except greenhouse vegetables), as a rule, did not exceed 10%, and carrot even cheapened on 5%. At the same time, greenhouse tomatoes became expensive on 95% in December, and cucumber - twice expensive. The average price on greenhouse sweet pepper grew up on 78% during a month. Still, in the end of December 2004 green onion was supplied on only 20-25% more expensive price than in the beginning of the month.