Main points
- Onion prices in Ukraine fell by 19% in a week due to a surplus of medium and low quality products.
- Weak demand and rapid deterioration in product quality are forcing farmers to sell onions cheaper than in the same period last year.
Onions are rapidly becoming cheaper / Photo Unsplash
Onion prices are falling again in Ukraine, despite expectations of an increase in the spring. Overproduction and deteriorating quality are forcing farmers to sell their stocks at a lower price.
Why have onion prices fallen so low?
A new wave of onion price declines has been ongoing in Ukraine since the middle of last week, according to analysts from the EastFruit project.
Farmers expected that prices would start to rise in the spring due to a reduction in the volume of substandard products on the market. However, the situation is currently developing in the opposite direction – supply remains high, and prices continue to fall.
As of today, producers are selling onions at a price of 3-8 hryvnias per kilogram ($0.07-0.18 per kilogram), which is an average of 19% cheaper than a week earlier.
Please note! According to market participants, the main reason for the price drop is the large number of products of average and low quality. With the onset of heat, farms are more actively selling off stocks from storage, as vegetables quickly lose their marketable appearance.
Weak demand also creates additional pressure on prices – trading activity in the segment remains low.
At the same time, compared to the same period last year, onions in Ukraine are now 49% cheaper on average. Currently, according to the Ministry of Finance, the following onion prices have been set in popular supermarket chains:
- Auchan 7.80 hryvnias per kilogram;
- Novus 6.89 hryvnias per kilogram;
- Megamarket 8 hryvnias per kilogram;
- ATB 8.45 hryvnias per kilogram;
- Varus 6.90 hryvnias per kilogram.
Cucumber prices started to rise: shortage and weather changed the market
-
Prices for greenhouse cucumbers in Ukraine have increased due to reduced imports from Turkey and worsening weather conditions, which affected yields.
-
Average prices for cucumbers in supermarkets range from 179.89 to 219.00 hryvnias per kilogram, depending on the chain.