Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
Peach harvest in Crimea justified the expectations of the orchardists
This spring the specialists of Crimean office, Agricultural Marketing Project (AMP) informed that long winter observed this year let the producers hope for a high peach harvest in Crimea. Late blooming period in peach orchards could guarantee no frosts during the fruit formation.
The prognoses, according to the specialists' opinion, were confirmed 100%. The weather really favored the high peach harvest in Crimea. However, AMP specialists mentioned that peach quality has not been always on top.
Those farms which had money for pruning and chemical treatment, were able to get high quality fruits and better price respectively. Peach was sold on USD 1.2/kg and more in peak season. Many farms failed to find money for the technological needs for orchard management; as a result, the harvest was characterized by great losses or low quality. The price on low quality peach sometimes dropped down lower than USD 0.4/kg on retail market; USD 0.15/kg on terms of self delivery from the orchard; and the processors purchased peach on USD 0.2-0.26/kg. Alexander Lekhno, the AMP Market information Specialist, says that due to the perfect weather conditions, many vacationers and the stable demand from the side of the processing enterprises the peach season in Crimea may be considered as successful.
Not taking into account the past year, Crimea is the hugest peach producer in Ukraine, up to 35% of the gross harvest is grown there. In 2004 because of frosts during blooming period the record low harvest of peach was gathered. In many orchards 100% of harvest were lost. Nevertheless the specialists consider peach production to be perspective and feasible business; it is proved by the constantly growing acreage of new peach orchards. Up to 5 mln. people are coming to Crimea to have a rest annually, so that this region is one of the main consumers of this product with the stable demand.
One of the main problems for Ukrainian orchardists, peach producers in particular, is an absence of quality product packing, refrigerators for the preliminary cooling. It is hard to set up large-scale and smooth supplies to support peach sales through the large retail chains. The experts forecast that exactly these directions will be developed dynamically soon.
You have the opportunity to know more about the trends on fruit market in Ukraine, the development of packing, storing, post harvest handling industries during the second international conference "Fruits and Vegetables of Ukraine 2005" to be held in December 5th-7th , 2005 in Kyiv.