According to EastFruit analysts, as of the beginning of 2025 compared to the same period of 2024, prices for most types of fruits and vegetables in the Ukrainian market increased. However, there were also such positions, for which prices decreased. At the same time, the average rate of price growth for fruit and vegetable products did not differ significantly from the annual inflation rate, which indicates stabilization of the fruit and vegetable market.
Among the champions in terms of price growth rates in 2024 were cabbage, carrots and apples. Cabbage rose in price three times or more during the year due to a decrease in production volumes and low quality of products. Wholesale prices for carrots increased almost 2.6 times and reached UAH 26/kg ($0.61) as of the beginning of January 2025. Apple has increased in price by an average of 79% and is now sold in bulk for 25-28 UAH/kg, which is also equivalent to about 60 US cents. Premium quality apples are sold much more expensive.
“Apple prices have risen sharply in all European countries due to significant crop losses due to unfavorable climatic conditions. Another reason for the price increase is high prices for apple concentrate, supporting high prices for low quality apple as well. Accordingly, the fresh apple market lost the most affordable segment, which allowed the prices for medium and high quality apple to increase,” says Andriy Yarmak, FAO economist.
Similar to apple was the situation for pears, which rose in price by an average of 70% on the Ukrainian market over the year.
Mandarins are another item, for which there was a high increase in prices. The reasons were discussed in detail in this material. In Ukraine, the prices for these fruits increased by 58% over the year.
For other key positions the following price growth was observed: sweet pepper and grapes – 20%, potatoes – 30%. At the same time, prices for onions and greenhouse tomatoes did not change over the year, and greenhouse cucumbers fell in price by an average of 5% over the year. Wholesale prices for bananas decreased most significantly – by 8%.
Prices for carrots in Ukraine have been rising for several weeks, analysts of the EastFruit project report. Experts explain the rise in prices for this product by the fact that many local producers have exhausted stocks of quality root crops, whose harvest in 2024 was significantly affected by unfavorable weather conditions.
At the moment, the price range for carrots is already voiced in the range of 25-32 UAH/kg ($0.59-0.76/kg), depending on the quality and volume of offered batches of vegetables, which is on average 10% more expensive than a week earlier.
Market participants explain another price increase in this segment by stable demand for quality carrots. At the same time, the supply of these root crops on the Ukrainian market has noticeably decreased this week. Many producers have already announced the end of the season of realization of available stocks of products. Some farms offer for sale residual lots or refrain from selling at all, hoping to realize vegetables closer to spring at higher prices.
It should be added that today the price of carrots in Ukraine is already on average 2.3 times higher than in early January 2024. Industry experts explain this price level by the reduction in the harvest of this product in the current season due to weather anomalies in the summer.
You can get more detailed information about the development of the market of carrots and other horticultural products in Ukraine by subscribing to the operative analytical weekly – EastFruit Ukraine Weekly Pro. Detailed product information is available at here.
Demand for food potatoes is growing rapidly in Ukraine, according to analysts of the EastFruit project. Market participants attribute the price increase to the high demand for potatoes from local wholesalers and retailers. At the same time, the excitement in this segment is fueled by rumors of a shortage of quality potatoes this season.
Thus, Ukrainian farmers are currently offering potatoes for sale at 12-18 UAH/kg ($0.29-0.44/kg), which is on average 16% more expensive than at the end of the previous working week.
According to the producers themselves, the growth in sales was also facilitated by the decline in potato production in the country. The abnormal drought this year in the main producing regions has led to a significant decline in potato yields. In addition, unfavorable weather conditions had a negative impact on the quality of potatoes.
It is worth noting that currently the wholesale price of potatoes in Ukraine is on average 2 times higher than in early September 2023. At the same time, many market participants do not expect the weakening of trading activity in this segment in the near future.
You can get more detailed information about the development of the potato and other fruit and vegetable market in Ukraine by subscribing to the operational analytical weekly – EastFruit Ukraine Weekly Pro. More information about the product is available here.
Source: https://east-fruit.com/novosti/ocherednoe-povyshenie-tsen-na-kartofel-v-ukraine/
