Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
There will be more strawberry in Ukraine but the prices are staying on the same high level There will be more strawberry in Ukraine but the prices are staying on the same high level There will be more strawberry in Ukraine but the prices are staying on the same high level
Despite of the beginning of the season of mass harvesting and sales of strawberry which starts early June and finishes late July, the price on this commodity remains very high. In this regard the traditional questions arise: why does it happen and will strawberry be cheaper this year?
Despite of this berry acreage extension, past year strawberry harvest was rather poor, mainly because of frosts which dramatically decreased the yield. Lack of berry formed the prices on strawberry. Huge demand from the side of fresh market, and also rapidly growing needs of strawberry processors have not let the prices decrease to the level usual for the previous year. Strawberry was sold in retail not cheaper than USD $ 0.99/kg, and the processing enterprises purchased this commodity on USD $ 0.49-0.69/kg, though they planned initially to purchase raw material on not more than USD $ 0.39/kg.
This year the situation seemed to be improved - in line with the further strawberry acreage extension, the weather conditions mainly favor the relevantly rich harvest. Despite of this fact, in many regions the price on strawberry is obviously higher than a year before. This is mainly typical for the regions where cold weather of April and early May led to the significant delay of strawberry vegetation.
To the present moment the minimal price on strawberry were recorded in Odesa oblast where this commodity is offered on price starting from USD $ 0.39/kg on terms of self delivery from the field. In Odesa oblast the minimal level of retail prices is also observed - USD $ 0.79-1.97/kg. The maximum prices are recorded in Kyiv, the wholesale price is fluctuating within USD $ 0.98-1.98/kg, and in retail this commodity is sold on USD $ 2.37-3.56/kg.
The specialists forecast that even if strawberry is cheaper this year than the previous year, it won't be very significant. Despite of the noticeable extension of strawberry production, the demand seems to grow by considerably faster rates.
This news is very good for the producers of strawberry and those who are only considering the possibility to produce this very popular in Ukraine berry, as a rather good opportunity to get large profits due to the strawberry production is obvious. The self-cost of strawberry production, according to the data of Agricultural Marketing Project, past year fluctuated within USD $ 0.21-0.43/kg. The strawberry production in the southern regions of Ukraine can bring a very good profit - 35-60,000 UAH per ha, according to the approximate estimations.
According to the data of official statistics, the leaders of strawberry production in Ukraine are Zhytomyr, Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Vinnitsa oblast; the highest yield level is also observed there.