July 17 2007, 16:03

Ukrainian processors started purchasing apples

The representatives of the processing enterprises in the western regions of Ukraine inform that today the processors have started purchasing apples of early varieties. At the present moment apple producers offer raw materials for the price starting from $0.07/kg; this price is almost twice as cheap than at the same day a year ago.

The specialists of ""Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" explain this circumstance by a higher yield of early apple varieties this year comparing to the season 2006. It is also worth mentioning that the farms started supplying early apples 2 weeks earlier comparing to the previous year.

Talking about the harvest of late apple varieties, today there is a doubt that the processors are likely to purchase the needed volumes this season. Market players inform that many farms deliver fallen apples of late varieties to be processed. The fruits are weakly developing and falling from the trees because of the weather conditions (high temperature and insufficient quantity of rainfalls).

The producers prefer not to share the detailed forecast concerning the harvest of late apple varieties; they say the harvest will fully depend on the weather conditions, especially in August. In May the analysts of "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" forecasted 35% increase of apple production comparing to 2006; however, at the present moment the forecast is in the state of reconsideration with the account of weather influence to apples in June and July. It is obvious right now that the prices for high quality apples will be higher than in season 2006/07, especially with the account to the situation of apple production in Poland and other Eastern European countries. The price growth for apples as raw materials for processing will be limited by the prices for Chinese apple concentrate.