Total export of soft fruit with wild berries from Ukraine could reach 57,000 tonnes by 2020, Economist of the Investment Center of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Andriy Yarmak has said. According to his report at the Global Berry Congress held in Rotterdam posted on the Facebook page of the Ukrainian Horticultural Association (UHA), soft fruit export could reach 40,000 tonnes by 2020, and with wild – 57,000 tonnes.
“The share of fresh berries in export volumes of cultivated berries could reach 40-44% and in value could exceed 60%,” the expert said. Export of cultivated blueberries by the end of 2020 could reach 8,000 tonnes. Yarmak said that export of wild blueberries could decline to 15,000 tonnes.
According to the expert, the country saw a 19-fold rise in export of cultivated soft fruit in four years and a 17-fold rise in export of fresh soft fruit.
“First, the loss of the Russian market made farmers look for niches with more value. Secondly, the decline of incomes made people look for ways of making money and pay attention to soft fruit. Thirdly, Ukrainian fruit pickers worked in Poland received large experience and most of them started their own small business after returning to Ukraine,” Yarmak said, explaining the reasons of growth. According to the report, the share of raspberry grew from 7% in 2014 to 29% in 2017. The share of raspberry of total cultivated soft fruit reached almost 60% (without wild).
