Prices for local watermelons in Ukraine continue to fall rapidly, almost daily, report analysts from the EastFruit project. It should be noted that as of today, prices in this market segment are already much lower than last year.
Last week, the average wholesale prices for watermelons in Ukraine decreased to 15 UAH/kg ($0.36/kg), which was the lowest level in at least the last three seasons. However, as of today, wholesale batches of watermelons on the domestic market can be purchased in the range of 5-14 UAH/kg ($0.12-0.34/kg), depending on the quality, variety, and volume of the offered batch. This means that the current established prices are already at least 35% lower than those of the previous week.
EastFruit analysts have identified the main reasons for such a sharp decline in watermelon prices this season. Firstly, the relocation of watermelon production within Ukraine. After russia occupied significant territories of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, the cultivation of these crops actively began in all central regions of Ukraine, and in some areas in the western region. Weather conditions this spring and in the first half of this summer were quite favorable for plant growth, and farmers expected to harvest high yields of watermelons this season.
Read also: First batches of watermelons hit the Ukrainian market
Producers themselves explain the negative price dynamics in this segment by the sharp increase in the supply of local watermelons on the market. Due to the hot weather that has settled in Ukraine since the second decade of July, the rate of watermelon ripening in the fields has significantly accelerated. At the same time, the abnormal drought observed in the southern regions is adversely affecting the quality of watermelons in the fields, which only accelerates the pace of price reductions.
Additional pressure on the market is exerted by stable supplies of watermelons to Ukraine from Central Asian countries, where this product is currently much more affordable and of higher quality.
Since the beginning of this week, wholesale batches of watermelons in Ukraine have been sold at almost the highest prices among the countries in the EastFruit monitoring project (higher prices were only seen in the Polish market). However, if the negative price trends in this segment persist for a few more weeks, the prices for watermelons in Ukraine could closely approach those seen in Central Asian countries.
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