May 17 2006, 11:51

This May vegetable prices exceed past year records

According to the results of wholesale price monitoring conducted by the Agricultural Marketing Project, prices for major vegetables are higher mid May 2006 than they were at the same period of time past year. The only exception is early cabbage; this vegetable is 20-30% cheaper comparing to the previous year.

Garlic is an absolute leader of price growth records, as the price for this commodity increased 3, and sometimes even 5 times comparing to the past year price level. It is important to point out that there is a very limited supply of national garlic on market now; the sellers mostly offer imported garlic for sale.

Potato price is much higher as well, almost 2-2.5 times. Onion and carrot prices are 50-100% higher than in May 2005. Major shipments of onion are delivered from Ukrainian storages; vice versa, it is mostly imported carrot that influences carrot prices. The sellers of early Ukrainian potato are satisfied, as this year the price for their commodities is 20-30% higher than a year ago. Still, the specialists think that the demand for local potato has not increased (it had to stand severe competition with Egyptian potato this year), but exactly reduced supplies stimulated price growth. The supplies decreased because of later potato ripening as a result of cold weather.

Greenhouse cucumbers and tomatoes are 15-20% more expensive this year, mostly because of the delayed harvesting season. The representatives of greenhouse complexes say that greenhouse cucumber export to the traditional buyers Belarus and Baltic countries has significantly reduced this year due to high prices for cucumber and tomato on the inner market. Greenhouse tomato has reduced to minimum. Tomatoes are exported only to Russia by moderate shipments.

Radish is somewhat more expensive this year, around 20-50% in the regional consumption centers. At the same time, radish price is 15-20% lower this year comparing to 2005 in Kherson oblast, where this commodity is produced in large volumes. At this moment radish prices are changing daily; so we can say that the general price level for radish is the same this year as it was a year ago.