The adverse weather conditions in Ukraine in early April and the middle of May, which came amid frost, excessive rainfall and low air temperatures, affected the situation in the fruit and vegetable sector of the country, which led to difficulties in pricing, harvesting and the quality of manufacturers’ products, Development Director at the Ukrainian Horticultural Association Kateryna Zvereva has said.
“Thus, adverse weather conditions, which came amid rains and a drop in air temperature to 5 degrees below zero, observed in early May, caused decrease in the supply of greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers. For example, weather conditions led to a decrease in the sampling volume of cucumber in Ukrainian greenhouses, which allowed sellers to increase previously set prices immediately by 50% in early May,” she told Interfax-Ukraine.
Cloudy and rainy weather in Ukraine during late April and early May was negatively displayed in the fresh berry market.
“It was the weather that caused a decrease in the supply of garden strawberries from Ukrainian greenhouses. As of the end of April, Ukrainian manufacturers offered garden strawberries at a price of Hr 80-120 per kg ($2.96-4.44 per kg), which is an average of one and a half times more expensive than in the middle of the month,” Zvereva said.
According to manufacturers, the price increased due to several factors. First of all, the manufacturers were able to raise prices because of very active demand in this segment. In addition, the supply of garden strawberries from local households was significantly reduced due to adverse weather conditions, which also contributed to price growth.
As for the season of garden strawberry from open ground, the association’s development director said that in most horticultural farms in the western and central regions of the country, it is significantly delayed due to the sharp cooling observed in April, which affected the ripening of strawberries. The manufacturers said that April frosts mostly damaged the early varieties of this berry.
“However, gardeners in the southern regions report crop losses ranging from 5% to 20%, while manufacturers in the western regions report crop losses of early garden strawberries from 50% to 90%,” Zvereva said.
