May 16 2005, 14:27 Agrarian Marketing Project

In Odesa oblast a great harvest of medium and late peach varieties and the severe deficit of early peaches are expected

As Valentina Kotsur, the Agronomist of Odesa office, Agricultural Marketing Project (AMP), informs, in many orchards of the southern rayons of Odesa oblast (Kiliya, Izmail) the peach ovaries have died on the trees of early varieties.

To the opinion of the AMP specialists, who specially investigated this problem past week, this situation was caused by the frosts happened in the initial period of orchards blooming and, partially, by the parasitic attacks. In some places, especially on the loamy soils of Kislitskiy island, the peach orchards have suffered because of the excessive soil moisturizing.

We should note that the ripening time of early peaches nearly matches in the southern rayons of Odesa oblast and Crimea, and the middle-early varieties start yielding almost simultaneously to the early varieties in the central rayons of Odesa oblast, so the producers are able to get the maximum prices for their commodities. This year the low yield of early peach varieties may lead to the even higher price level in the beginning of peach ripening season.

As the Crimean farmers have not faced the same problems this year yet, they can account on a good profit if the early peach of Crimean production is able to be supplied in the end of June - beginning of July. Besides, the supplies of early peaches from Moldova have a good chance to increase their share on the Ukrainian market.

At the same time, the specialists point out a normal state of the trees of middle-early, middle and late peach varieties, so a well enough peach harvest can be in place this year. We can expect that the price on early peach can be rather high this season, however, in the end of the first decade of July, starting from the first supplies of middle peach varieties the price on peach may drop down abruptly.