Tomatoes, sweet corn and plums recorded the strongest growth in seller activity on EastFruit’s regional trading platforms in Week 31 of 2026. Watermelon remained the most frequently advertised product, while rising seasonal supply continued to push down prices for watermelons, melons and vegetables in Ukraine.
Key market signals
- Watermelon remained the overall leader by number of offers
- Every eighth advertisement was for watermelon
- Tomato offers nearly tripled week on week
- Plum supply more than doubled
- Sweet corn seller activity increased sharply
- Peach and early apple trade continued to expand
- Sweet pepper and eggplant sales intensified
- Vegetable prices resumed their decline in Ukraine
- Watermelon and melon prices continued to fall
- Pear prices decreased in Uzbekistan
- Packaging dominated EastFruit’s agricultural technology platform
These and other developments shaped fruit and vegetable trade across the region during Week 31 of 2026, according to EastFruit’s analysis of its B2B trading platforms.
Trading activity reaches a new 2026 record
The number of advertisements published in the EastFruit Trade Platform group increased again, setting a new record for 2026.
Users from Uzbekistan, Türkiye and Azerbaijan increased their trading activity. Ukrainian participants also continued to expand the number of products offered for sale.
At the same time, the number of advertisements from Poland and Iran declined. Sellers from Kazakhstan and Tajikistan returned to the platform after a period of lower activity.
Fresh fruit and vegetables were offered by participants from ten countries.
The five most active countries by number of advertisements were:
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
- Türkiye
- Azerbaijan
- Egypt
Tomato offers nearly triple
Tomato supply increased almost threefold compared with the previous week. As a result, tomatoes moved to the top of the vegetable sales ranking on the EastFruit trade platform.
Participants also offered sweet peppers and eggplants more frequently than one week earlier. In contrast, the number of cucumber sellers declined.
Supply increased for almost all vegetables traditionally included in the Eastern European “borscht set”, with carrots being the main exception.
The carrot market deserves particular attention, as extreme heat and reduced planted areas could lead to tighter supplies in Europe.
Trading in sweet corn also intensified sharply.
Watermelon accounts for every eighth advertisement
Watermelon continued to lead the overall sales ranking, while the number of offers increased further.
During Week 31, every eighth advertisement published on the platform was related to watermelon.
The rapid expansion of seasonal supply is increasing competition among sellers and putting additional pressure on prices, particularly in Ukraine.
Plum supply more than doubles
The number of plum offers increased by more than 100% week on week.
Participants from Ukraine and Uzbekistan were particularly active in plum trading. Offers were also submitted by sellers from Azerbaijan.
The increase in regional supply contrasts sharply with the situation in Italy, where severe hailstorms and extreme heat have significantly reduced the availability of marketable plums.
Trading in peaches and early-season apples also increased, while nectarines were offered less frequently.
Among products that did not enter the weekly top ranking, relatively active trading was recorded for:
- Table grapes in Uzbekistan
- Blueberries in Ukraine
Despite the cold and prolonged spring, Ukrainian growers reported that this season’s tunnel-grown blueberry harvest exceeded earlier expectations.
Carrots and melons lead buyer demand
The number of advertisements seeking to purchase fresh produce remained relatively limited.
Carrots and melons attracted the strongest buyer interest during the week.
Participants were also actively looking to purchase:
- Beetroot
- Zucchini
The relatively low number of purchase requests compared with sales offers indicates that buyers remained selective, particularly in product categories experiencing rapid seasonal supply growth.
Ukraine: vegetable prices resume their decline
After a slight increase one week earlier, vegetable prices in Ukraine started falling again.
Potato prices declined. However, market experts warn that extreme heat and insufficient moisture could reduce yields and cause potato prices to rise in autumn.
All major vegetables from the traditional borscht set became cheaper.
Prices also decreased for several seasonal vegetables.
The main weekly changes included:
- Lower potato prices
- Falling prices for borscht vegetables
- Lower cauliflower prices
- Higher broccoli prices
- Cheaper eggplants following increased supply
- Higher zucchini prices
- An almost 50% decline in sweet corn prices
- Lower prices for garlic, green onions and lettuce
The sharp decline in sweet corn prices was driven by stronger seasonal supply and a rapid increase in the number of sellers.
Watermelon and melon prices continue to fall in Ukraine
Price movements in Ukraine’s fruit and berry segment were mixed.
Apricot prices continued to decline, while peach prices also began moving lower.
Watermelon and melon prices fell further as seasonal supply increased.
Farmers in Ukraine’s Odesa region have already started harvesting mid-season watermelon varieties. Additional volumes are expected to enter the market throughout August.
At the same time:
- Blueberry prices increased
- Strawberry prices rose
- Apples became more expensive
- Banana prices increased
- Price ranges narrowed for bilberries and sour cherries
The increase in blueberry prices may reflect tighter availability of premium-quality berries, despite relatively strong production results in protected cultivation.
Uzbekistan: pear prices decline
Pear prices decreased in Uzbekistan during Week 31.
The price range for plums widened, reflecting differences in variety, quality, fruit size, packaging and destination market requirements.
Uzbekistan’s fruit and vegetable exports reached $872.9 million in the first six months of 2026, confirming the country’s growing role in regional and international fresh produce trade.
Packaging remains the leading technology category
Trading activity in the EastFruit Fruittechnology group remained broadly unchanged from the previous week.
Packaging and containers for fruit and vegetable products were once again the most frequently advertised category.
At the same time, the number of fertilizer offers declined.
One participant published a request to purchase horseradish planting material.
Other technology products offered during the week included:
- Potato harvesters
- Agricultural nonwoven fabric
- Greenhouse film
- Drip irrigation tape
Meanwhile, a new fruit and vegetable cluster is being developed in Kazakhstan’s Almaty region, with planned investment of KZT 16.5 billion.
Market outlook
Week 31 confirmed that seasonal supply is now the main driver of trade and pricing across the region.
Watermelon remains the most competitive category, while rapidly increasing offers of tomatoes, plums, sweet corn, peppers and eggplants are creating additional pressure on wholesale margins.
For commercial growers and traders, the main risks in the coming weeks will include:
- Further price declines in oversupplied categories
- Stronger competition between suppliers
- Uneven quality during periods of extreme heat
- Higher sorting and waste losses
- Growing pressure on logistics and storage capacity
At the same time, weather-related production losses in parts of Europe could create export opportunities for suppliers from Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Türkiye, Azerbaijan and other regional markets.
The key commercial challenge will be matching rapidly increasing seasonal volumes with stable demand, reliable logistics and consistent product quality.
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