Ukrainian farmers this week are again forced to reduce their selling prices for bulb onions, according to analysts from the EastFruit project. Producers explain that the negative price trend is driven by several factors at once. First, demand for onions has dropped significantly. At the same time, market supplies have increased noticeably. Small farms have begun actively selling off stocks from non-equipped storage facilities and are willing to lower prices in hopes of clearing volumes before colder weather sets in.
As of today, Ukrainian producers are offering bulb onions at 5–10 UAH/kg (USD 0.12–0.24/kg), which is on average 25% lower than at the end of last working week.
Market participants report a marked weakening in demand, while supply continues to grow. The increase in supply is driven by farmers’ desire to quickly offload medium- and low-quality onions. Demand for such produce remains relatively low. Retail chains and wholesalers are the primary buyers, purchasing onions for current sales since these volumes are largely unsuitable for long-term storage.
Also see: In Ukraine, prices for high-quality carrots are rising
It is worth noting that onions in Ukraine are currently selling at an average of 41% cheaper than during the same period last year. Market players also emphasize that purchasing high-quality onions is becoming increasingly difficult because many producers have placed premium produce in storage and plan to sell it exclusively during the winter months.
More detailed information on developments in Ukraine’s onion market and the broader fruit and vegetable sector is available on the EastFruit website.
