Tomatoes at 140 UAH, sweet cherries twice as expensive: what’s happening to the summer fruit and vegetable market
27 June 2025 17:55
Amid the seasonal rise in prices for fruits and vegetables, the Ukrainian market is showing unstable dynamics – the cost of tomatoes has reached a record 140 UAH/kg, stone fruits are twice as expensive as last year, and watermelon exports are just beginning to recover after two years of complete downtime.
Maxim Hopka, an analyst at the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club, explained in a commentary for "Komersant Ukrainian" why prices for seasonal fruits and vegetables are rising and when to expect them to fall.
TOMATOES
In June 2025, the price of tomatoes in retail chains ranges from 80-140 UAH/kg, which is three times higher than last year. In the wholesale markets, the price is 50-80 UAH/kg. The main reason for this is the lack of products from the open field: only greenhouse vegetables are currently on the shelves.
“Tomato prices are quite high because only those grown in greenhouses are on the shelves. This applies to both domestic and imported products. The price may decrease when the supply from the open field starts. If the weather conditions are suitable for growing, the first supply may be available in mid-July,” explains Maksym Hopka.
Last year, the situation was complicated by prolonged droughts, which resulted in poor quality of outdoor produce and limited supply. This year, the situation is expected to improve, but the volume and quality of the harvest remain dependent on weather factors.
STONE FRUITS
Prices for cherries and cherries have doubled on the market. Currently, wholesale prices are as follows:
– Sweet cherries – 110-130 UAH/kg
– Cherries – 90-110 UAH/kg
– Apricots (mostly imported) – 100-130 UAH/kg
The main factor is the weather conditions in spring. Spring frosts have significantly reduced the harvest across Eastern Europe, and imports from traditional supplier countries remain expensive.
“Spring frosts destroyed half of the stone fruit crop not only in Ukraine but also in Eastern Europe. In addition to the limited domestic supply, imports are not cheap either, which is why we saw high prices at the beginning of the season,” Hopka comments.
Along with the expansion of supply, the market is seeing a gradual decline in prices – up to 40% compared to peak prices in May.
WATERMELONS
Before the full-scale war, Ukraine exported 9 to 30 thousand tons of watermelons annually. After losing access to the main growing regions, exports stopped completely in 2022-2023. In 2024, for the first time in two years, supplies resumed – 1,658 tons.
“Before the war, Ukraine used to export watermelons, and these volumes could range from 9 to 30 thousand tons depending on the year. During 2022-2023, there were no exports, but in 2024 it amounted to 1,658 tons,” Hopka said.
The main sales markets are Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland. At the same time, the domestic market is currently filled mainly with imports: Turkey, Greece, Azerbaijan, Macedonia, and Romania.
The Ukrainian agricultural market in 2025 remains sensitive to weather conditions and logistical constraints. The coming weeks will be crucial: the stability of the temperature regime will determine whether prices for outdoor vegetables will decline.
