April 6 2006, 10:28

Demand for seedlings exceeds supply

Annual Fruit Seedling fair is proceeding this week in Odesa; common producers - a target audience of the event - show a great interest to orcharding business. The information was provided by Valentina Kotsur, the Agronomist of Odesa office, Agricultural Marketing Project.

The exhibited assortment and the participants' geography are significantly extended comparing to the previous years. The growers from the whole Ukraine except Western oblasts came to take part in the event. The exhibition confirms the observations of AMP analysts regarding increased interest to seedling production from the side of the professional orchardists. A growing number of private perennial nurseries has been established in recent years in the country. As to the experience, these nurseries have already competed with large state nursery complexes quite well. The exhibited seedlings from the private nurseries cost much more, but the quality is significantly higher as well. Large buyers are suspicious about the only fact that a few private nurseries have their own brand and the market reputation of the trustworthy supplier of the ordered varieties.

The analysts point out that the deficit is observed now on perennial seedling market in Ukraine. The winter 2006 damaged many orchards, so the demand on seedlings to restore plantings can grow even more.

We see that the market of fruit and decorative perennials' seedlings is developing very dynamically; this trend will be probably preserved in the future years as well.