Citrus fruits and bananas were especially in demand among Ukrainians during the pandemic, making up over 60% of exotic fruit imports in 2020 and coming mainly from Turkey, Ecuador and Costa Rica.
With an 18% jump compared to 2019, the total import of exotic fruit reached $795 million last year, the Institute of Agrarian Economics reported on March 16.
Turkey was the country’s top source of fruit — Ukraine imported almost 30% of its fruit or 269,000 tons from Turkey. The share of other main trading partners — Greece, Spain, Costa Rica and Egypt — reached a combined 22%.
According to the Ukrainian Horticultural Association (UHA), Ukraine’s import of citrus fruits and bananas is growing as people eat more of them every year.
But these fruits became especially sought after during the pandemic as people tended to visit grocery stores less and preferred fruits with a longer shelf life, according to Kateryna Zvereva, an expert at UHA. “Citrus fruits and bananas can be stored for at least 4-5 days at home,” said Zvereva
Soaring prices for almost all other fruits contributed to the high demand. Apples, for example, saw record-high prices last year, even though they are widely grown in Ukraine, according to UHA director Semen Kramarenko.
“In some retail chains, the price for (apples) during May-July did not fall below $1.8 per kilogram,” which is six times pricier than in 2019, said Kramarenko. “Ukrainians preferred more affordable bananas during the quarantine.”
Import of other exotic fruits — pineapple, avocado, mango, dates and figs — reached 14,000 tons, with a total value of $12.6 million in the first half of 2020, 12% more than for the same period in 2019.
Import of coconuts and cashews grew by 22% in the first six months of 2020.
According to Zvereva, demand for this produce grew mainly because more Ukrainians are trying to live healthy lifestyles. “The diets of these consumers mainly consist of plant-based products,” Zvereva said.
As a result, shelves in retail chains currently offer all kinds of exotic fruits, berries and nuts, something that was “nearly impossible to buy in Ukraine 5-7 years ago,” according to Zvereva.
