Ukrainian companies continue to increase their presence in the global berry market despite ongoing Russian aggression.
This was discussed during one of the largest berry forums in the world in the Netherlands, according to EastFruit.
As noted by the economist of the investment department of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Andriy Yarmak, in his presentation, Ukraine has become the fastest-growing exporter of berries among all countries in the top 20 by the end of 2022, based on the results of the previous five seasons.
“Berry exports from Ukraine from 2018-2022 are growing on average by 25% per year, mainly due to the increase in exports of frozen raspberries. However, blackberries have recently started to contribute to this process, allowing Ukraine to consistently move up in the rankings of the world’s largest berry exporters,” says Andriy Yarmak.
At the same time, the FAO expert notes that Ukraine loses about $100 million to Poland, allowing the latter to maintain leading positions in the export of fresh and frozen berries by processing and re-exporting Ukrainian berries. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to sell berries at the lowest price on the market, while with some marketing efforts and minor investments in technology, given the unique agro-climatic conditions of cultivation, it could sell this product at a premium price.
Yarmak pointed out that these funds would help reduce dependence on one major buyer, with whom serious problems have recently arisen. Additional funding from export diversification with minimized re-exports through Poland would significantly increase the volume and quality of products, along with the ratings and reputation of Ukraine in the berry world.
He also noted that next season Ukraine will have a serious blank check on the frozen raspberry market, as many countries have reduced the area under this crop, while world prices remain extremely low.
“Accordingly, the interest in raspberries among global buyers in the 2024/25 season may increase again, which will allow increasing revenues from product sales. And it would be good to combine this with efforts to diversify both raspberry and blackberry exports,” the expert predicts.