March 30 2006, 12:00

Zakarpattya early cabbage will come to market in the third decade of April

As soon as in the third decade of April Zakarpattya producers of early cabbage promise to supply large sets of this commodity on market. According to the estimations carried out by Zakarpattya office of the Agricultural Marketing Project, this year early cabbage acreage has increased 8-14%. Zakarpattya oblast is one of the main suppliers of early produce to Ukrainian markets; due to its climatic conditions the oblast can successfully compete with Odesa, Kherson and other southern oblasts.

There is imported early cabbage on market; some cabbage of local origin has already got to Odesa oblast supermarkets. The retail price on this product is still higher than $3.92/kg. Imported early cabbage costs now about $ 2.15/kg on Kyiv in wholesale.

Mid April 2005 early cabbage cost $ 2.7-2.9/kg on Kyiv FARMER wholesale market, the price went down to $ 2.5/kg after April 20th 2005.

This year the analysts of "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" journal observe a noticeable trend of acreage extension for early-medium and medium cabbage varieties. Past years cabbage deficit was observed exactly in the ripening period for these varieties. And the prices used to grow. The attractive cabbage prices in this period of year stimulate the acreage extension for medium-early and medium varieties.