The growth rate of wholesale prices for “Moldova” grapes, which began at the end of October 2022 from the lowest level over the previous five years – 7 MDL/kg average ($0.36/kg), is accelerating in Moldova, EastFruit reports. The average price for “Moldova” grew by 1 MDL/kg during the first week, and by another 2 MDL/kg during the second week up to 10 MDL/kg ($0.52/kg). This is the level of the purchase prices for grapes from plantations in the midst of harvest in 2021 (in mid-October) – the period of maximum supply and the least profitable sales.
However, fruit market operators note that the situation is changing rapidly in November this year, and prices for table grapes, especially for export quality, in the country’s wholesale markets grow virtually every day. Last Sunday, the wholesale price of 10 MDL/kg mentioned above was already the minimum rather than the average. Moreover, the price of high-quality “Moldova” grapes, purchased by some exporting traders in large volumes in the fruit storages of agricultural producers, reached 15 MDL/kg ($0.78/kg) at the end of last week.
According to experts of viticulture associations, the reason for outstripping (average market indicators) growth of wholesale prices in direct large contracts between traders and vineyards for the sale of “Moldova” grapes was that traders purchased and stored much fewer grapes in their fruit storages in October 2022 than last year. As EastFruit reported, the main problem is that due to the Russian embargo, limited export demand for Moldova table grapes in the first half of autumn, and a huge increase in electricity tariffs, according to expert forecasts, about 20 000-25 000 tonnes of grapes were stored for sale in November-January. About 40 000 tonnes were stored for export in October 2021.
Given the accelerating pace of exports, market analysts do not undertake to assess how many “Moldova” grapes remain in fruit storages in mid-November. According to estimates by wine growing associations based on customs data, as of the end of the first week of November, more than 25 000 tonnes of table grapes from the 2022 harvest were exported. That is, exports are no longer slower than in the previous two years. Moreover, according to market operators, many traders have already signed contracts (with a tight delivery schedule) until the end of this year. Consequently, the demand prices for the commodity balances of “Moldova” in November-December will grow significantly.
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.
