Ukraine’s Strawberry Business Is Becoming More Fragmented as Large Producers Scale Down
Ukraine is seeing a growing trend toward the localization and fragmentation of strawberry producers, as concentrating plantations in one location has become a highly risky and challenging decision due to labor shortages.
This was stated by Taras Bashtannyk, President of the Ukrainian Fruit and Vegetable Association (UFVA), in an interview with SEEDS.
«Over the past 10 years, we have seen large producers either disappear completely or significantly reduce their cultivated areas. At the same time, many small-scale producers have emerged,» he explained.
He added that in order to significantly influence the Ukrainian strawberry market, a producer would need at least 1,000 hectares of plantations.
Taras Bashtannyk also noted that many farmers planted large volumes of strawberries this year and last autumn because prices were high during the previous season.
«But in a year or two, prices may turn out to be far from what producers expected. Production costs will likely be higher than farmers anticipated. Such price fluctuations have always existed and will continue to occur,» the expert concluded.
