The end of summer is reshaping trading activity across the region’s fruit and vegetable markets. Potatoes became the most actively traded vegetable of the week, apples returned to the top position in the fruit segment, and grape supplies continued to expand. At the same time, offers of tomatoes, sweet peppers, peaches and nectarines declined, while watermelon and melon sales continued to lose momentum.
These are the key trends recorded during the 35th week of 2026 on EastFruit trading platforms.
Among the main developments of the week, potatoes ranked first by the number of sales offers, while tomato supply declined sharply and fewer sweet peppers were offered for sale. Chinese cabbage returned to the list of the most actively traded vegetables after a long absence.
In the fruit and berry segment, apples generated the highest number of sales offers, while grape supply continued to increase. Sales of watermelons and melons declined for the second consecutive week. In Ukraine, prices for plums and raspberries fell, while in Uzbekistan potatoes and carrots became more expensive.
Activity among participants of the EastFruit Trade Platform continued to decline during the week, mainly due to fewer sales offers from Ukraine. Participants from Egypt and Iran were also less active than a week earlier.
At the same time, traders from Uzbekistan and Türkiye increased their activity, while offers from Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan reappeared.
Overall, representatives of nine countries bought and sold fruit and vegetable products during the week. The five most active countries by number of offers were Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Türkiye, Egypt and Kyrgyzstan.
One of the most notable developments was the sharp decline in tomato supply. As a result, potatoes became the most actively traded product of the week, supported by increased sales activity from Ukrainian suppliers.
The trend is particularly noteworthy against the broader European market background. Potato yields in France could fall to their lowest level in 30 years, while Ukraine may face a shortage of high-quality potatoes in spring 2027, with prices potentially rising significantly during the winter period.
The number of sweet pepper sellers also declined. At the same time, cucumbers and Chinese cabbage were offered more frequently, allowing Chinese cabbage to return to the list of top-selling vegetables after a prolonged absence.
Among products that did not yet enter the weekly top ranking, pumpkin and salad onions showed increasing supply.
The end of summer is also changing the structure of the fruit segment.
Apples once again became the most actively traded fruit on EastFruit platforms. Suppliers from Ukraine and Uzbekistan were particularly active, while apple offers were also recorded from Türkiye and Turkmenistan.
The number of grape sellers continued to rise as the season gained momentum.
Meanwhile, peaches and nectarines were offered less frequently than during the previous week. Watermelon and melon sales declined for the second week in a row, signalling a gradual slowdown in the active summer melon season.
Plum sales remained broadly unchanged from the previous week.
At the same time, Uzbekistan continued to increase pomegranate sales, while offers were also recorded from Türkiye and Egypt. Participants from Kyrgyzstan actively traded raspberries.
Among buyers, tomatoes and sweet peppers for processing remained the products attracting the greatest demand. Purchases of eggplants also increased.
In Ukraine, the past week brought mixed price trends in the vegetable segment.
Prices for traditional “borsch set” vegetables declined, while sweet peppers also became cheaper. In contrast, tomato and cucumber prices began to rise.
Chinese cabbage and broccoli became less expensive, while cauliflower prices increased. Zucchini and garlic were sold at higher prices than a week earlier, while hot peppers became cheaper. In the herbs segment, prices for green onions and parsley increased.
In the fruit and berry segment, pear prices continued to decline. Blueberry prices, which had increased a week earlier, edged down again.
Raspberry prices fell for the second consecutive week.
Peaches and nectarines were sold at higher prices than during the previous week, while apricots became cheaper. Excess supply also triggered a noticeable decline in plum prices in Ukraine.
Watermelon prices continued to fall, while melon prices increased.
In Uzbekistan, potatoes and carrots became more expensive during the week. The price range for peaches narrowed.
Uzbekistan also continues to strengthen its position in international fruit and vegetable trade. During the first half of 2026, the country exported almost 1.1 million tonnes of fruit and vegetable products.
Activity in the EastFruit Fruittechnology group remained broadly unchanged compared with the previous period.
Packaging and containers remained the most frequently offered products, although the number of such listings declined. At the same time, the number of seedling suppliers continued to grow.
Other technological materials and equipment offered during the week included self-adhesive labels, seedling trays, fruit graders, drip irrigation tape, greenhouse film and agricultural fibre.
Meanwhile, technological innovation in fruit production continues to advance globally. In the United States, a vacuum-based apple harvesting system called Bandit Cyclone has recently been developed.
Overall, the weekly results point to a clear seasonal transition in the regional fruit and vegetable market.
Potatoes and apples are emerging as the new trading leaders, grape supply is expanding, and autumn vegetables are gaining importance, while several summer products are gradually losing ground.
These seasonal shifts are likely to become even more pronounced in the coming weeks as supplies of apples, grapes, pumpkins, potatoes and other autumn crops increase.
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