April 3 2007, 14:01

Ukraine: greenhouse vegetables got 28% expensive comparing to the previous year

The trend of the price growth for greenhouse tomatoes is observed at the present moment on the market of Ukraine; at the same time, the prices for other greenhouse vegetables do not practically change. The specialists think that the reason is the demand growth before the Easter holidays. The following fact is interesting: despite of the much warmer winter, the prices for greenhouse vegetables are considerably higher in 2007 than a year ago.

The analysts of ""Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" journal" evaluate the greenhouse vegetables to be on average 25-30% more expensive than they were early April 2006. The price for greenhouse tomatoes has grown the most dramatically up: this product costs on average 35-50% higher throughout Ukraine. The prices for greenhouse tomatoes grew the highest in the western region of Ukraine. Greenhouse pepper got on average 20% more expensive; greenhouse cucumbers cost now 5-7% dearer.

To the specialists' opinion, the rapid demand growth on the background of the stable supply causes the price growth for greenhouse vegetables; the growing production costs have no influence. Many greenhouse complexes did not invest any profits to the energy-saving technologies during the period of the low prices for gas. These enterprises had to reduce the acreage or even to give up producing greenhouse vegetables. At the same time the considerably increased percent of Ukrainian consumers purchased greenhouse vegetables in winter-spring period in 2007.The greenhouse complexes found the opportunity to substantially increase the average sales prices as a result of the shortage of the greenhouse produce on market.