EastFruit previously wrote about the high prices for greenhouse bell peppers in Uzbekistan and the outstripping price dynamics compared to previous years. The prices have continued to rise at such a pace that the average wholesale prices for green bell peppers increased by 50% from November 4 to November 25, 2021, while red bell peppers rose by 67%.

According to EastFruit price monitoring data, as of November 25, 2021, the average wholesale prices for bell peppers are:

– green greenhouse bell pepper – 15,000 UZS/kg ($1.39), which is 1.9 times higher than on the same date in 2020 and 4.3 times higher than on the same date in 2019;

– red greenhouse bell pepper – 25,000 UZS/kg ($2.32), which is 3.1 times higher than on the same date in 2020 and 6.3 times higher than on the same date in 2019.

In previous years, price rise that started in late October and early November continued until the end of the year, due to seasonal increases in prices for greenhouse vegetables. However, as can be seen from the graphs above, the dynamics of prices for greenhouse bell peppers in the fall of 2021 is ahead of the dynamics of previous years. The current average wholesale prices for green bell peppers are 25% higher than the December 2020 and 2019 highs, and the average wholesale prices for red bell peppers are 2 times higher than the highs recorded in December 2020 and 2019.

Сообщение Prices for greenhouse bell peppers in Uzbekistan set new records появились сначала на EastFruit.

Over the past week, prices for greenhouse bell peppers in Uzbekistan have increased by 67%, and the upward trend continues for the third week in a row. Among weekly price fluctuations in the current year, the weekly price increase from October 28 to November 4, 2021 was the highest in the last five months, EastFruit experts say.

From the beginning of July to mid-September, the average wholesale prices for bell peppers were sometimes even 25% lower than in the same period of 2019-2020. They got ahead of last year’s prices in the third decade of September, and until mid-October 2021, the average wholesale prices for bell peppers were twice as high as in the same period in 2019-2020. However, the higher growth rate of average wholesale prices in the third decade of October 2021 widened the gap compared to last year’s levels.

According to EastFruit price monitoring data, from October 28 to November 4, 2021, the average wholesale prices for greenhouse bell peppers increased from 6,000 to 10,000 UZS/kg (from $0.56 to $0.94), and for red greenhouse bell peppers – from 9,000 to 15,000 UZS/kg (from $0.84 to $1.40). In other words, prices for both products rose 67% over the week, the highest weekly gain in the past five months.

As of November 4, 2021, the average wholesale prices:

– for green greenhouse bell pepper is 2.5 times higher than on the same date in 2020 and almost 6 times higher on the same date in 2019;

– for red greenhouse bell pepper is 4.3 times higher than on the same date in 2020 and almost 7.5 times higher on the same date in 2019;

As of November 4, 2021, retail prices for green greenhouse peppers in supermarkets in the capital of Uzbekistan ranged from 13,000 to 21,000 UZS/kg (from $1.21 to $1.96), and for red bell greenhouse peppers from 18,000 to 37 000 UZS/kg (from $1.68 to $3.46) depending on their variety and quality.

Сообщение Prices of bell peppers increased by 67% in a week in Uzbekistan появились сначала на EastFruit.

According to EastFruit analysts, prices for bell peppers in Tajikistan have fallen to 1 TJS per kg (about $0.08 per kg). In other words, 11.5 kg of bell peppers can be bought at $1! Naturally, these low prices do not cover the production costs of Tajik growers.

There have never been such low prices for peppers in Tajikistan. Usually at this time, bell peppers in the country are sold in bulk at $0.30-0.40 per kg.

Among the reasons for such a dramatic drop in pepper prices, market participants cite the overproduction of pepper in 2021. However, a consultant to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Bakhtiyor Abduvokhidov, notes another factor – the absence of a cold chain.

“If farmers were to harvest peppers during a period of low prices at the right stage of maturity, cool and store them, as it is done in other countries, they could make good money. Indeed, by mid-November, prices for bell peppers in Tajikistan often exceed $1.5 per kg. This is also a good idea for resellers, since business that allows to get 1500% of profitability in just one month is rare! However, for peppers to survive for more than two weeks, they should initially be grown in such a way to be suitable for storage. They should have the necessary packaging – it is preferable to store them in bags with a modified atmosphere of the MAP type. In addition, the necessary set of knowledge and skills that are currently lacking in Tajikistan is required. A couple of years ago, Tajik vegetable growers tried to lay peppers for storage, but, unfortunately, they rotted quickly. However, if everything is done correctly from the start, the return on the invested will be good” notes Bakhtiyor Abduvokhidov.

Experts name several more opportunities that could be used by bell pepper producers in Tajikistan. “Wholesale prices for peppers in Russia now reach $1.8-2.0 per kg. Therefore, if products are cooled and have modern packaging, exporting peppers from Tajikistan to Russia could be a very profitable business now. Moreover, the country has the opportunity to sort and collect batches of high-quality peppers even manually,” says Andriy Yarmak, economist at the FAO Investment Centre.

He also notes that pepper could be used as a raw material for processing. “Frozen bell peppers are one of the most popular products in the frozen vegetables segment. Given the good taste of peppers grown in Tajikistan, they could be successfully exported to many countries around the world. Unfortunately, there is almost no freezing of vegetables, fruits and berries in Tajikistan, despite the excellent opportunities for the development of this business,” adds Andriy Yarmak.

According to official trade statistics, Tajikistan does not export peppers at all. At the same time, the import of peppers into the country has been steadily growing in recent years. In 2020, more than 300 tons of pepper were imported to Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan became the main supplier. Bell peppers were also imported to Tajikistan in 2020 from Pakistan and Turkey.

Сообщение The collapse of prices for bell peppers in Tajikistan – opportunity for a huge profit in just one month! появились сначала на EastFruit.

On the eve of everyone’s favourite holiday New Year’s, the EastFruit team analyzed how the prices for fruits and vegetables have changed on wholesale markets over the past year in the countries of the region.

In Uzbekistan, the largest increase in prices in the capital city of Tashkent occurred for herbs and greenhouse bell peppers. Herbs prices increased by an average of 2.1 times and bell peppers cost 2 times more. Bell pepper prices on the domestic market of Uzbekistan went up due to a sharp increase in its exports mainly to Russia. Even the bans on supplies did not significantly reduce the prices of this product. Exports of Uzbek bell peppers for 11 months of 2020 in physical terms increased by 80%.

Pears are the leader in price growth among fruits. Prices for it increased by an average of 80% compared to the end of December 2019.

Table grapes this year are on average 60% more expensive although its production in 2020, according to official statistics, increased by 3.2%. Grape exports increased even more significantly by 18.8% in 11 months of 2020.

Read also: Why have vegetables and fruits become cheaper in Ukraine?

Citrus fruits, without which the New Year’s table in Uzbekistan is simply unthinkable, also significantly increased in price. Price increases for mandarins were 60% and for oranges 33%. The reason for the rise in citrus prices is the reduction in imports and the devaluation of the national currency. Orange imports to Uzbekistan for 11 months of 2020 decreased by 35% and mandarins by 3.3%. The exchange rate of the national currency of Uzbekistan for the year decreased against the dollar by about 9%, which is directly reflected in the prices of imported products expressed in Uzbek soums.

Banana prices increased slightly by only 2.1%; that is, the prices in dollars declined altogether. Not surprisingly, bananas are the best-selling fruit in Uzbekistan’s supermarket chains. As of December 1 of this year, Uzbekistan imported 31,900 tons of bananas from foreign countries. This is 3,400 tons less than in the same period last year. This year, bananas were imported to Uzbekistan mainly from Ecuador (29,800 tons). The decline in imports is due to a decrease in the purchasing power of the population and disruptions in logistics during lockdowns.

Apples are the only fruit analyzed that has become more affordable for the new year. Wholesale prices for apples decreased by 37.2% on average. This was facilitated by the good apple harvest in Uzbekistan this year.

Carrots became the leader in price growth for vegetables. The increase in prices for it was 36.1%. Potato prices increased by 25%. Even a sharp increase in imports by 60% in 2020 could not resist the rise in potato prices. Onion prices, on the other hand, decreased by 10% due to a good harvest.

Prices for greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers also decreased on average by 5.5% and 13.6% respectively. The drop in prices for cherry tomatoes is especially noteworthy. Their prices have dropped by 65% ​​compared to last year. This is a consequence of the increase in their production volumes. A couple of years ago it was difficult to find cherry tomatoes on the market, now its supply has increased significantly and consumers have already positively assessed the taste of these tomatoes. A decrease in prices for cherry tomatoes in the domestic market of Uzbekistan should help contribute to an increase in its consumption in the country since most consumers still look at this type of tomato with distrust not daring to try it.

Сообщение Vegetables and fruits in Uzbekistan cost more than a year ago появились сначала на EastFruit.