Apple price dynamics failed to meet producers’ expectations

This was reported by Volodymyr Hurzhii, Head of USPA Fruit, in the magazine Sadivnytstvo po-ukrainsky.

According to him, in March, some farms held back their produce in anticipation of prices rising to UAH 50–60/kg. However, the actual market price remained at around UAH 30/kg.

When it became clear that the market was not showing the expected dynamics, producers began actively selling their products, which put additional pressure on prices.

«If my estimate is to sell at UAH 30/kg, while the producer expects UAH 50–60, a problem arises: these expectations have already been built into the costs,»Volodymyr Hurzhii explained.

As a result, the market became unstable and dependent on situational decisions, while producers were forced to operate amid uncertainty.

Despite this, the fresh apple segment generally remained profitable, although income levels turned out to be lower than expected.

The expert noted that the situation once again demonstrated a systemic problem in the market — a focus on potential peak prices without taking real demand into account.