Why are the supply and prices of table grapes decreasing on the Moldovan market?

EastFruit monitoring shows that from the beginning of August to the beginning of September, the wholesale prices for white table grapes in Moldova decreased on average from 30 MDL/kg ($ 1.68/kg) to 10 MDL/kg ($ 0.56/kg), red varieties – from 35 MDL/kg ($ 1.96/kg) to 12 MDL/kg ($ 0.67/kg). Seedless grapes fell in price by about half during this period – to 15 MDL/kg ($ 0.84/kg). As the participants of the country’s fruit and berry market believe, a fall in prices is likely to slow down in September, but it will continue.

Experts of associations of winegrowers believe that the reduction in the cost of table grapes is due to the peculiarities of the structure of varieties grown. Over the past five years, many vineyards of early varieties of table grapes have been eliminated in the country. As a result, in average seasons in Moldova, early grapes from greenhouses and a few commercial open field vineyards are sold at a high wholesale price – 40-55 MDL/kg ($ 2.24-3.08/kg), on the domestic market and for exports. Since the beginning of August, their supply has been steadily declining. In September, only table grapes  of Victoria, Presentabil, Cardinal varieties are offered on the Moldovan market.

Moreover, the majority of the suppliers during this period were small winegrowers owning only a few hectares of. Their production volume is sufficient to cover the demand of the domestic market (at the same time, low paying capacity of consumers and the availability of alternative fruits should be taken into account). But it is not enough for traders to export table grapes regularly. Taking into account these circumstances prices for “summer” grapes are decreasing.

This year, the decline in sales and wholesale prices for grapes, apparently, will last until early October, when grapes of the main export variety Moldova will appear on the market with a two-week delay in comparison with the previous season.