November 28 2006, 11:13

Wholesale traders complain on low demand for fruits and vegetables

The sellers of practically all regions of Ukraine speak about low demand for fruits and vegetables. "There are no sales, nobody needs anything. Cabbage, for example: the producers have brought all cabbage to their houses. The cabbage quality is not very good, it will not be stored for a long time - that's why we have to sell it for unaffordable prices or to throw it out", the farmer in Lviv oblast says. The farmers also complain for insufficient activeness of the buyers of carrot, table beet, potato, onion, and apple. The prices for almost whole assortment of "borsch" vegetables have noticeably declined during the previous two weeks. On the eve of the decrease of apple tariff rates the prices are "waiting" too. But, the prices seem to decline under pressure of Polish apple.

The low demand for the produce of separate farmers is a result of the significantly increased production. The market needs have been satisfied this season somewhat earlier than the producers would like it to. The population does not hurry to make purchases, the storages are full. The specialists forecast that the price decline can last till Christmas holidays when a huge demand is sure to lift the prices up.