Tomato prices have skyrocketed in Ukraine: what are the reasons?
20 March 17:15
This week, a shortage of greenhouse tomatoes began to be felt on the Ukrainian market, allowing importers to raise prices slightly on available vegetable shipments, according to analysts from the EastFruit project, as reported by "Komersant Ukrainian".
Experts attribute this trend to a reduction in the volume of imported tomatoes entering Ukraine, particularly from Turkey, due to a decrease in shipments from that country.
As a result, as of the end of this week, tomatoes in Ukraine are being offered at 120–140 UAH/kg ($2.73–3.19/kg), which is on average 10% more expensive than at the end of the previous reporting period.
As a reminder, last week importers and wholesale companies focused on selling off vegetables purchased at the beginning of the month but not sold on time. At the same time, new supplies to the market were minimal. Consequently, a tomato shortage has already formed in the domestic market, allowing importers to raise prices.
Market participants note that an increase in tomato shipments from Turkey is expected in the near future, which will help balance the market and stabilize prices.
It is also worth noting thatimported tomatoes in Ukraine are currently selling for an average of 45% more than during the same period last year.
