After talking with the participants and management of the Pomușoarele Moldovei Berry Growers Association, EastFruit analysts summarized their observations on how the berry season is developing for local fruit market operators.
- The harvest-2023 of berries in Moldova will be significantly more than last year and more than the average for the previous five years (for this period, the minimum harvest is 9 thousand tons, and the maximum is 18 thousand tons). At the same time, the total area of berry plantations has stabilized by the current year: the area of annual plantations (strawberries) recovered after a fall in 2020-2022, while the area of perennial plantations, at least, did not decrease. The increase in the production of berries this year provided a rise in yields. A long, relatively cool, humid spring turned into a hot summer not too abruptly, contributing to the filling of berries.
- This year, young intensive plantations of raspberries and blackberries, planted based on imported planting material, mainly Polish varieties, have come to bearing. They produce large, sweet berries that are in demand and familiar to European consumers. In 2023, the larger and sweeter local berry has become a pleasant discovery for Moldovan consumers. Several large farms have agreed with supermarket chains to directly deliver premium raspberries and blackberries in small consumer packaging to stores. The price for this product is higher than for the berries of varieties familiar to the local consumer, sold in the capital wholesale and retail markets. Nevertheless, the demand is there.
- The export of berries from Moldova will likely increase by the end of the 2023 season. As EastFruit previously reported, the export of fresh strawberries of the 2023 harvest from Moldova will most likely be one and a half to two times higher than last year’s figure – 1.4 thousand tons. Contrary to pessimistic forecasts based on the weak price situation in the EU and neighboring Ukraine, there are still exports of raspberries (to Poland for freezing) from Moldova. Exporters who negotiate directly with berry farmers in the north of Moldova prefer to keep their physical volumes and prices private. But, according to the reviews of individual agricultural producers, “mostly berries of medium and lower quality are purchased, at a modest price.” In general, prices for all kinds of berries for export have been significantly below the average level of the previous two or three seasons. However, the situation began to change in the second half of summer, and prices for berries, especially high-quality ones, are growing.
- With this in mind, farmers hope for high prices for remontant strawberries and higher prices for late blackberries in the domestic market. They also expect high sales of late “dry” berries: sea buckthorn, mountain ash, and rose hips.
