The Price of Raspberries in Ukraine: Why Do They Cost 1,000 UAH in Stores but Only 50 UAH Directly from the Farmer?
21 June 10:12
A record price difference for raspberries has been recorded in Ukraine, depending on the sales channel. In Kyiv supermarkets, the berries are sold for up to 999–1,000 UAH per kilogram. At the “Stolichny” wholesale market, greenhouse-grown raspberries are sold for an average of 450 UAH per kilogram—depending on quality and batch size, the price ranges from 400 to 500 UAH, reports "Komersant Ukrainian", citing the publication “Agronomy Today.”
At the same time, the wholesale price has already dropped significantly over the past week: in early June, greenhouse raspberries were selling for 700 UAH/kg.
Two types of raspberries in one market—greenhouse and field-grown
Oleg Kudlay — a farmer from the Kharkiv region with 14 years of experience growing raspberries and strawberries—said that wholesale prices for field-grown (non-greenhouse) raspberries have returned to 2024 levels: 40–50 UAH/kg. Good spring weather led to an early and bountiful start to the season across all of Ukraine at the same time—even large batches of fresh berries aren’t selling out as quickly as farmers would like.
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In other words, there are two different types of raspberries on the market at the same time: the more expensive greenhouse variety, which appeared earlier in the season, and the cheaper field-grown variety, which flooded the market as soon as the weather warmed up. The ripening of the mass-produced field-grown raspberries was delayed by spring frosts—and when the harvest finally came in, it caused prices for producers to plummet.
It’s berry season—and when to expect cheaper prices at the store
In the near future, more greenhouse berries from Ukrainian farmers will appear on store shelves, with the bulk of the supply expected in late June or early July—just when the mass field harvest finally reaches store shelves after passing through all the intermediaries.
According to market participants’ forecasts, in July—when supply peaks at the retail level—prices could drop by 20–30%. However, a return to last year’s levels of 300–400 UAH/kg is unlikely this season.
Last season, the situation already showed a similar shift: at the end of July, prices plummeted due to the massive influx of late varieties that had been less affected by the spring cold—after which prices just as rapidly rebounded to high levels.
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