June 7 2006, 18:53

Growth of strawberry supply makes wholesale prices rapidly decrease

The supply volumes of strawberry are growing quickly, Dmitriy Chernyak reports as the Market Information Specialist of Odesa office, Agricultural Marketing Project (AMP). According to information provided by Odesa farmers from the southern rayons, due to absence of rainfalls during strawberry ripening period the losses are low on fields, and the quality of strawberries is good. Odesa farmers specialize on early strawberry varieties; they are one of the first in Ukraine to start harvesting berries. The harvesting period has started later than usual this year because of cool spring; nevertheless, active ripening of berries makes producers reduce prices for the extremely perishable commodity. At present moment the wholesale price for quality strawberry of average size is around $0.98/kg if sold out of field. According to the data of the price monitoring conducted on KOPANI wholesale market in Kherson oblast, during this week the price for medium-quality strawberry has declined from $1.76/kg down to $1.17/kg.

The price decrease is fostered also by the beginning of strawberry harvesting period in northern oblasts of Ukraine. Sergey Strokan, the Market Information Specialist of Cherkasy AMP office, reports to "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" journal that strawberry harvesting period has started in Cherkasy oblast.

The producers sold first shipments of strawberry for $3.92/kg; as of today, the price has declined down to $1.96-2.54/kg. This trend will be in place as now the harvesting period for early strawberry varieties goes on. The harvesting of medium and late strawberry varieties will start soon on significant acreages.

Processing enterprises plan to start purchasing strawberry not earlier than in a week, when significant shipments of strawberry are likely to be supplied on market. The demand for strawberry from the side of processing enterprises is gradually growing year by year. Taking into account smaller acreage and lower yield observed this year, strawberry production will be 5-10% less this year than in 2005. An average price will be higher this year too.

AMP information. According to the official statistics data, Zhytomyr, Dnepropetrovsk and Donetsk oblasts have been the largest strawberry producers for recent 7 years; they grow more than one third of gross strawberry production. The earliest strawberry is produced in Crimea, Odesa, Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts.