According to EastFruit analysts, wholesale prices for Gala apples in Ukraine, Moldova, and Poland have reached record levels for this time of year. Gala apples are the most popular variety among exporters and increasingly favored by local consumers.
Typically, Gala apple prices vary significantly among these three neighboring apple-exporting countries. However, by mid-October this season, prices in Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine have converged, fluctuating between $0.51 and $0.53 per kg for standard quality apples suitable for the fresh market.
Premium export quality apples are commanding even higher prices. “The margin for premium apples this season in Eastern European countries is higher than usual. This is due not only to a general decrease in apple supply but also to quality issues caused by atypical weather conditions during the growing season,” says Andriy Yarmak, an economist at the FAO Investment Department.
In less than a month, Gala apple prices in Ukraine have surged by 36%. In Moldova, prices began rising later but have increased by 11% over the past three weeks. In Poland, prices for the same variety have risen by 6% in two weeks, despite an earlier trend of decreasing prices from the season’s initial very high levels.
Read also: Apple prices in Ukraine set new records
Traders attribute the price hike to producers’ reluctance to sell quickly. Even in Ukraine, where Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure, including energy facilities, are a daily occurrence, farmers are holding onto their apples longer, hoping for even higher prices.
This rise in apple prices during this time of year is unusual for Eastern European countries, where the supply is typically at its peak, and farmers rush to sell produce that cannot be stored long-term. Consequently, consumers may face unpleasant surprises in apple prices during the winter-spring period.
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