Representatives of the Union of Association of Producers of Walnut Crops of Moldova believe they have a reason to hope in high prices for walnut harvest-2021 at the very beginning of the harvesting season. The expected wholesale price for a walnut kernel (light halves) is not less than 110-120 MDL/kg ($ 6.25-6.81 per kg). In this regard, it should be noted that at the beginning of October 2020, the starting purchase price for was significantly lower – 75-90 MDL/kg ($ 4.26-5.11 per kg). By the end of October 2020, for several reasons, including the depreciation of the Moldovan Leu against the US dollar the price for kernels increased to 110 lei/kg ($ 6.31 per kg).
Moldovan walnut growers expect that in 2021 the situation will develop according to last year’s scenario, which assumes a rapid rise in prices. However, their starting level, in their opinion, will be higher for a number of reasons. Firstly, due to the lack of a significant stock from the last year’s harvest among European buyers cooperating with Moldovan traders. The union of walnut growers claims that the organization has received requests from companies from the European Union for the purchase of walnut kernels at a high price (up to 120 lei/kg, $ 6.74 per kg) practically all this summer. There is already a demand for the new harvest.
Secondly, the industry union believes that demand for Moldovan nuts is fueled by reports that the walnut harvest in the US and some South American countries is expected to be about 10% lower than last year’s.
Among other things, a week or two before the start of the harvesting season, many in the walnut business in Moldova have concerns about how walnut growers will be able to organize the harvest. The walnut industry has been experiencing an acute shortage of workers for several years due to tough competition for daily hired workers with other segments of a fruit growing – viticulture, first of all. In addition, in the past and early this year, some large trading companies specializing in the export of walnuts suffered serious personnel losses. This, apparently, will also affect certain aspects of the walnut business in Moldova.
The use of the site materials is free if there is a direct and open for search engines hyperlink to a specific publication of the East-Fruit.com website.
