Last week, Ukraine for the first time became the leader in Eastern Europe in terms of potato prices excluding the EU countries. It is in Ukraine that potatoes can be bought at the lowest price. This is reported by EastFruit analysts based on the results of weekly monitoring of wholesale prices for vegetables and fruits in nine countries of the region.

According to experts, over the week the average wholesale price for potatoes fell by 17%, while in neighboring Moldova, prices for potatoes continued to rise. Thus, for the first time in seasons, prices for potatoes in Ukraine fell below the level of prices for potatoes in Moldova. By the way, potatoes in Ukraine are only 15-20% cheaper than a year earlier, however, against the background of rising prices for tubers in other countries of the region, this is enough to become a price leader.

The decline in the price of potatoes further widened the gap in potato prices between the markets of Belarus and Ukraine. And this has become an even more significant stimulus for the growth of export shipments of Ukrainian potatoes to Belarus. And since the prices for potatoes in Russia were even higher than in Belarus, it is possible that some of the Ukrainian potatoes this season comes to the Russian market through the mediation of traders from Belarus. According to unofficial statements of Belarusian intermediaries, Russia is afraid of too rapid growth in prices for basic foodstuffs, so the re-export of "sanctioned" fruit and vegetable products, allegedly, has become much easier again.

At the moment, potatoes in Ukraine can be bought in bulk 2.5 times cheaper than in the Russian Federation. And since the difference in the purchase price of one batch exceeds $ 5 thousand, then such a re-export business becomes very attractive. In addition to Belarus and the Russian Federation, Ukraine is currently exporting potatoes to Serbia and Georgia, according to traders.

At the same time, one should not forget that the prices for potatoes in Poland are even lower than in Ukraine. At the same time, they are higher than a year earlier, almost twice against the background of a decrease in the yield of products. Potato growers hope that the recovery in demand from the HoReCa segment will increase prices even more in the future. Nevertheless, at the moment it is profitable for Belarus to buy potatoes in Poland for re-export to the Russian Federation and for its own needs.

By the way, the main reason for the decline in the price of potatoes in Ukraine is the sale of leftovers of non-storage products by farmers. Therefore, it is possible that prices for tubers in Ukraine will gradually recover with the onset of frost and the end of the sales season.

EastFruit