According to Agronews, spring frosts have deferred the peak harvest period for early domestic vegetables and berries. Maxim Hopka, an analyst at the Ukrainian Agrarian Business Club Association, noted that the frosts have negatively affected the future yields, particularly in vegetables, fruits, and berries. Ukraine, Eastern European countries, and Turkey, a major exporter, experienced these impacts.
"In Ukraine, the situation with plant damage is sporadic: Some regions experienced the cold relatively steadily, while others, including Vinnytsia and some eastern regions, where early vegetables and fruits were in the formation stage, suffered more significant losses," Hopka explained. Vegetable prices remained stable post-Easter due to pre-holiday frosts and subsequent rains, which favored grains but delayed open-field vegetable seasons. Greenhouse outputs have risen, though, leading to reduced cucumber and tomato prices. Strawberries are emerging on the market primarily from closed cultivation, with prices gradually declining. Early cherry harvest is anticipated in late May, yet frost may have impacted stone fruit yields, akin to apricots.
This year's price landscape is expected to diverge from last year's trends. The consumer price index rose by 4.3% in early 2025 compared to a 1.5% rise in the same period of 2024, driven largely by fruit and vegetable cost increments. Hopka highlighted.
Source: AgroNews
