Raspberries are rapidly getting cheaper in Ukraine

Negative price trends have been established in the raspberry segment of Ukraine since the beginning of this week, EastFruit project analysts report.

To date, Ukrainian growers sell raspberries at 60-120 UAH/kg ($1.64-3.28/kg), which is 27% cheaper on average than at the end of the last week. Market participants explain the wide price range by differing quality characteristics of raspberries. At the lower end of the range, residual batches of summer berries are sold on the domestic market, which, as a rule, are not transportable and not demanded among representatives of freezing companies.

Larger batches of remontant raspberry varieties are on sale at the highest prices today. Their peak harvesting has started in the farms of the northern and western regions of the country.

The market participants attribute a noticeable decrease in prices for raspberries to an increase in their supply in the domestic market. In turn, local producers note a very restrained demand for large volumes of raspberries from processors, since the current price level remains very high for them. Even despite the recent reduction in selling prices, the sale of the main volumes of raspberries in Ukraine today is on average 26% more expensive than in the same period last year.

The representatives of berry freezing companies call the current price decrease quite logical and are confident that the current negative price trends will only strengthen. Companies that are focused on the export of frozen raspberries this season will be ready to start bulk purchases of raspberries, only if the range of wholesale prices is at the level of 60-70 UAH/kg ($1.64-1.91/kg). Otherwise, it will be difficult to compete with European producers of frozen berries, they say.

According to EastFruit project analysts, a further increase in the supply of remontant raspberries from local producers will only strengthen the current negative price trends in this market segment