April 6 2006, 10:26

Early field tomatoes will enter market early June

The farmers - vegetable producers from the far southern rayons of Odesa oblast are planting or have already planted tomato transplants into open ground. These rayons normally grow the lion's share of early produce in the country. The producers hope to harvest first field tomatoes in the first decade of June unless the weather interferes. The ripening of superearly greenhouse produce is delayed this year on two weeks approximately because of the weather conditions; still, first field tomatoes can enter the market at usual time. According to the data of retail price monitoring on Odesa PRIVOZ market, first shipments of field tomato are usually supplied on market early June, and the prices start to decline significantly. During the recent seasons the retail prices on greenhouse tomatoes used to be kept on the level of $1.56/kg till early June. The present data of price monitoring prove that the same trend is still preserved this year.