“Borscht set” is not expected to rise in price in Ukraine – EastFruit analyst
6 November 15:55
Currently, there are no prerequisites for a rise in the price of vegetables from the so-called “borscht set” – beets, carrots, cabbage, onions, and potatoes – in Ukraine. This was stated by Oleksandr Khorev, project coordinator of EastFruit Weekly Ukraine, in a commentary to "Komersant Ukrainian".
“Today, there are no prerequisites for a rise in price of any item in the borscht set. We grow all these crops on our own, and we depend on imports only at the end of the season, in the spring,” he explained.
Sufficient stocks and even lower prices
According to the expert, there are currently more than enough vegetables and potatoes in Ukraine. Some farmers are even selling products that are not suitable for long-term storage due to lack of capacity or poor quality.
“We even see negative price trends for some items. There is no rise in prices in the borscht set segment now,” Khorev said.
There may be a slight increase in prices before the New Year, when demand for vegetables traditionally increases.
However, the expert says that significant changes should be expected not earlier than in the winter months, when they will start sorting through vegetables in storage and there will be less quality products.
Products that will last until spring
Oleksandr Khorev emphasized that production has increased for some items, and there are more than enough stocks in the storages. Such vegetables may not rise in price even until next spring.
Why grapes are getting more expensive
The situation is different with grapes. Here , Ukraine is completely dependent on imports.
“We have no influence on price formation. Ukrainian table grapes hardly ever get to retail chains because farmers do not have coordinated batches of homogeneous products,” explained the EastFruit coordinator.
According to him, the price increase is due to the end of the harvest season in the northern hemisphere. The supply is decreasing, and grapes from the southern hemisphere are entering the market, which are much more expensive to supply due to ocean transportation.
“The season is coming to an end in the northern hemisphere, and we are already receiving small volumes from the southern hemisphere. The price is formed there and comes to us taking into account the cost of delivery,” Khorev added.
Less consumption means more expensive product
The analyst noted that during this period, grapes are moving into the premium segment, as demand for it is declining and the cost is rising.
“There will be no more cheap grapes – not only in Ukraine, but also in most European countries,” he summarized.
We remind you that in previous years, a significant rise in price of borscht vegetables was observed due to weather conditions, reduced acreage and logistics disruption as a result of the full-scale invasion.
