Onion prices in Ukraine have increased by 40 to 45 per cent within two weeks, marking the first price increase since early February. This is the first notable rise since mid-May 2025.
According to data from the EastFruit platform, Ukrainian farmers are currently offering onions at UAH 5 to 9 per kg (US$0.10 to US$0.20/kg). Market participants link the increase to seasonal depletion of stocks and higher demand from wholesale buyers.
Demand remains firm under limited supply, particularly for quality onions. Many farms have already sold available volumes, while those holding stocks expect further price increases. Despite the recent rise, prices remain about 68 per cent lower than the same period last year.
Market participants expect the upward trend to continue until new crop onions enter the market.
The development has implications for Moldova, where the market has relied on Ukrainian onion imports due to reduced local stocks. In early April, onion prices in Ukraine were about one-third lower than in Moldova, where wholesale prices ranged from 3 to 4 lei/kg (US$0.16 to US$0.21/kg), supporting export flows.
With rising prices in Ukraine, export margins are tightening. Two scenarios are outlined for the Moldovan market. One is a sharp increase in local prices while maintaining supply from Ukraine until the new harvest. The second is a gradual increase in prices with limited and intermittent supplies from Ukraine, potentially leading to further variation in product quality and price differentiation between lower and higher quality onions.
Source: Logos Press
