June 15 2006, 10:21

Grape will be expensive this year in Crimea

Grape canes suffered very much this season in Crimea because of severe winter. Grape harvest, depending from variety, was injured 75-95% according to the specialists' evaluations.

Grape producers mainly formed grape canes on purpose to have grape harvest next year. It is too early to forecast grape price right now, to the opinion of Alexander Lekhno, the Market Information Specialist of Crimean office, Agricultural Marketing Project. Still, the prices will be obviously higher this year than in 2005. The more accurate forecasts can be made early August when the volumes of possible grape shipments will be finally determined.

Past year the harvest of table grape was quite large in Crimea. 20,000 tons of grape were harvested from the acreage of 5,300 ha; the yield was 38 centners/ha. Farmers sold first shipments of early grape out of field for $2-2.5/kg. Then the prices declined down to $0.58/kg for Moldova grape variety and $1.17-1.37/kg for South-coast grape varieties. In winter and spring sellers offered imported grape of Spanish, Turkish origin, from other southern countries. In winter grape cost $2-4/kg.