The wholesale price for “Moldova” variety of table grapes on the Moldovan market has decreased by 1-2 MDL/kg average, to 12 MDL/kg ($0.68/kg) since the beginning of December.
According to table grapes growers, traders offer 12-13 MDL/kg for “Moldova” variety of the best quality. At the same time, local retailers pay even less for grapes of this variety – 8-10 MDL/kg ($0.45-0.56/kg). According to the market players, this is due to several reasons.
Firstly, the average Moldovan consumer prefers to buy grapes not in supermarkets, but on markets or trade stands even at the beginning of winter: there is still more assortment, and he can selexct the products himself. Supermarkets usually quickly switch to working with imported grapes in the cold season, mainly white and pink varieties. It is white grapes that dominate in the main supermarket and mini-market chains in Chisinau in December this year, but still mainly of local production. There are noticeably fewer Moldova grapes in supermarkets, and their quality is low, with retail price being 15-17 MDL/kg ($0.85-0.96/kg). This is about half the price of seedless white grapes.
Secondly, according to the representatives of the Association of Producers and Exporters of Table Grapes of the Republic of Moldova, about 1-2 thousand tonnes of export-grade “Moldova” table grapes remain in the storages of growers and trading enterprises. Some of them considered it unprofitable to sell them now, given the downtrend. They probably hope to sell better quality grapes in January on the EU market.
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.
