The fruit harvest in the 2025 season is about 60% of the pre-war level, and fruit storage facilities are loaded at 50% of pre-war volumes, so consumers should not expect the low fruit prices that existed before the war, said Taras Minko, head of the Ukrsadprom association.
“When fruit cost pennies, it was good for consumers, but for the industry itself, it was a huge minus, as it led to the bankruptcy of enterprises. If this trend had continued to this day, there would be no orchards left in Ukraine. We would be importing Polish, German, and other apples at European prices, which currently stand at EUR 2.603 per 1 kg,” he said at the Agro2Food exhibition.
The head of the industry association explained that low fruit prices in the pre-war period were due to high orchard productivity and intensive industrial horticulture in Ukraine.
According to him, 2022 was a lost production season for Ukrainian horticulture. Part of Ukraine was occupied, and a number of fruit storage facilities and horticultural farms were destroyed and looted.
“The main factors driving up fruit prices in recent years have been the cost of energy, labor shortages, and labor costs. There is a shortage of people—they are leaving the country. Those who remain want to work less and earn more. The discrepancy between wages and productivity is currently incomparable,” Minko emphasized.
He added that 250 people are needed to harvest a 25-hectare orchard. As a result, in 2022, many enterprises harvested 30% of their crops, in 2024 – 60%, and the current situation is no better.
In addition, according to the head of Ukrsadprom, a significant amount of fruit storage capacity has been destroyed in Ukraine. As an example, he cited statistics from association members who collectively cultivate 10,000 hectares of orchards. Before the war, they had about 110-120 thousand tons of storage in refrigerators.
“Currently, about 60% remains (of fruit storage facilities – IF-U). Some have closed, and some have lost their apple harvest due to climate change. This season, refrigerators with a capacity of about 50-60 thousand tons are in use,” Minko stated.
He noted that Ukraine currently lacks a culture of consuming jams and preserves, which hinders the development of the processing industry. At the same time, he predicts that in the next five years, Ukraine will see a boom in the construction of processing enterprises specializing in the manufacture of such products.
“If you look at today’s market, those who will look at such processing will have great prospects regardless of the number of enterprises existing today. While our parents were busy making preserves, our children will buy ready-made products. Therefore, this is a very promising and interesting industry, which will boom in 3-5-7 years,” concluded the head of Ukrsadprom.
The Ukrsadprom has addressed the Ukrainian president, prime minister and leaders of the political parties asking to introduce some measures for the development of gardening, in particular, to introduce the fixed land tax per ha depending on the type of economic activities.
According to the press service of the association, Ukrsadprom also asked to return preferential VAT for farmers, to provide state support for the export of horticultural products, and also to modernize the industry’s subsidy program with a focus on processing.
As reported, the Ukrsadvynprom association asked the Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry to adapt the program of state support for gardening to berry enterprises, as well as to expand the list of wine-making areas.
The Ukrsadprom association has appealed to the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food with the request to increase funding of the program for the development of viticulture, horticulture and hop growing by the end of this year to meet the demand of farmers.
“Ukrsadprom records an extremely high demand on the part of gardeners for state support, the peak of which will be in the autumn planting season. And it is clear today that the demand of gardeners will significantly exceed the supply of existing support,” the association’s press release said.
In this regard, according to the decision of the association council of August 11, 2018, an appeal was sent to the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food by the end of this year to increase funding for the program to meet the demand of farmers and expand the list of priority directions of state support, adding articles related to storage and pre-sale preparation of grown products.
“Considering high demand on the part of gardeners for participation in the support program, as well as the need to attract modern technologies to the industry and ensure sustainable development, Ukrsadprom suggests significantly increasing the amount of financing for the program in 2019 to ensure the rapid introduction of storage and pre-sale preparation facilities for Ukrainian fruits and berries,” the association said.
