August 30 2007, 16:54

Ukraine: tomato prices are increasing

The price growth has been traced on Ukrainian tomato market. Since the beginning of this week only some producers of the central and western regions of the country informed the specialists of CIS produce business periodical "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" about the increased sales prices. The prices stayed relatively stable on the other territory of the country. However, in the second half of week the farmers of Kherson, Nikolayev, Odesa regions, and also the farms of the eastern regions started reconsidering the prices upwards. To the opinion of the specialists "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits", the main reason for the observed circumstances was the dramatic reduction of the quality tomato supplies on market. Because of high temperature tomato is quickly spoiled on fields. As a result, the demand for quality products increases sharply; it let the owners of high quality tomatoes increase the sales prices with no hampering of the sales rates. So, at the present moment the quality tomato is sold for $0.18-0.3/kg on EXW terms. The prices for less quality products stay practically unchanged on the level $0.12-0.16/kg. However, the wholesale companies do not practically consider such bids.

It is worth mentioning that at the present moment the prices for tomatoes are in average 30% higher than the past year data. This fact is primarily predetermined by the lower yield recorded in the farms in the conditions of the abnormal heat.

You can learn the perspectives of tomato market in 2008 from the leading experts during the fourth international conference "Fruits and Vegetables of Ukraine 2007. Meeting New Leader", to be held on December 4th-6th 2007 on the territory of the National Complex "Expocenter of Ukraine" in Kyiv. The online registration form for the conference participants is available here.