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Last week’s cold snap and rains led to a decline in the quality of Ukrainian cherries and forced producers to reduce selling prices.
According to EastFruit, as of 22 June, sweet cherries on the Ukrainian domestic market are sold at prices of 140-200 UAH/kg ($3.36-4.80/kg), which is 13% cheaper on average than a week ago.
Analysts say that most berries are of medium or low quality. In addition, the supply on the market is growing, and heavy rains have a negative impact on the yield and presentation of the fruit. Due to the high humidity, sweet cherries crack while still on the trees, which significantly reduces their price.
Demand for the berry remains moderate, while producers are seeking to sell products that are rapidly losing quality faster, gradually reducing prices.
Nevertheless, even with the current negative price dynamics, Ukrainian sweet cherries are still three times more expensive than in the same period last year.