Ukraine’s 2026 raspberry season has been marked by a clear market paradox: the harvest was lower than last year, while limited supply pushed procurement prices to record levels. At certain points during the season, raspberries for processing were purchased at UAH 193–195/kg excluding VAT, EastFruit notes.
This was reported by Taras Bashtannyk, President of the Ukrainian Horticultural Association (UHA).
According to him, it would be premature to describe 2026 as a record year in terms of production volumes.
“I would not rush to call it a record in terms of volumes. As I see it, there were fewer raspberries this year than last year. In value terms, however, we may see a record or at least results comparable to last year, because raspberry prices are even higher this season,” he said.
In fact, the main driver of the 2026 season has been not higher production, but the exceptionally strong price level.
According to Bashtannyk, prices for raspberries destined for processing reached UAH 193–195/kg excluding VAT.
“We have never seen prices like this before,” the UHA President stressed. Higher prices helped growers partially compensate for weaker yields. At the same time, raspberries remain one of the most labour-intensive berry crops.
“Raspberries are harvested entirely by hand. Mechanised harvesting is still unrealistic for this segment. This significantly limits the expansion of production areas and, to some extent, keeps raspberries an exclusive crop,” Bashtannyk explained.
Another key feature of Ukraine’s raspberry sector is its strong export orientation.
According to the UHA President, around 90–95% of Ukrainian raspberries are export-oriented, while domestic consumption remains relatively limited.
The 2026 season therefore once again demonstrated Ukraine’s strong position in the international raspberry market. However, this year’s financial performance was supported primarily by high prices rather than by record production volumes.
For growers, this is a positive market signal, but also a reminder that expanding production solely on the basis of one season of record prices would be risky. The future competitiveness of Ukraine’s raspberry sector will depend on yields, labour availability, fruit quality and stable export demand.
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