Surveys of farmers conducted by the Moldovan team EastFruit show that due to a sharp rise in the cost of production resources and high uncertainty of access and pricing conditions of the main sales markets, horticultural enterprises, even of a high agro-technological level, intend to significantly reduce the use of plant protection products this year. First of all, this applies to expensive insecticides. Moldovan farmers hope to replace them with preventive measures and oil-based preparations.

Experts in the field of plant protection are ambivalent about such plans of growers. On one hand, due to long periods of rainfall, the effectiveness of protective measures in the orchards was low last year, farmers had to sharply increase the number of sprayings. This increased the risks of excess pesticide traces in fruits. And it is a great success for Moldovan exporters that there were no complaints from European buyers due to the identified pesticide residues in Moldovan fruits in 2021. On the other hand, in the last year’s weather conditions, the quality of products in farms that refused intensive crop protection from diseases and pests also did not meet the requirements of the “fresh market”.

The spring of 2022 still differs much from last year in terms of rainfall. If it is dry and warm in April-May, then good conditions for pollination and a normal phytosanitary background may form in Moldova for the first time in the last few years.

Сообщение Moldovan growers plan to use less pesticides without losing fruit quality появились сначала на EastFruit.

According to information received by EastFruit from players in the Russian fruit and vegetable trade, the procedures for importing fresh apples from a number of countries to Russia have become much more complicated this week. They refer to a letter from the Rosselkhoznadzor, which prescribes to carefully check each batch of apples from these countries for exceeding the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) of residues of pesticide substances, including such as Pyrimethanil, Chlorpyrifos and Hexachlorobenzene.

This leads to the fact that trucks and containers with apples are delayed for several days. Accordingly, suppliers incur significant losses and believe that these measures are a form of nontariff barriers to imports in order to support the domestic producer against the background of an excess of apples, described in detail in our material #freshapplecrisis. Considering the delays in deliveries, the Russian apple market “revived” a little. True, the prices for apples on the spot market have not yet risen, but already in deliveries for the next week, Russian supermarket chains take this factor into account and raise the ceiling of the purchase price even for an inexpensive apple. According to market participants, prices are also supported by the lack of re-exports of Polish apples to the Russian market through Belarus.

Moldova is not among the countries included in the conditional “black list”. Perhaps that is why the prices for apples in Moldova began to grow, and even preconditions were outlined for the rise in prices for the apple of the “Idared” variety.

At the moment, the average level of wholesale prices for apples on the Russian market is 10-15% lower than last year, but prices are still significantly higher than in the 2018/19 season.

It is interesting to note that in September 2021 Russia sharply increased its apple imports compared to September 2020, although in August imports were, on the contrary, lower than a year earlier. The main increase in apple exports to Russia in September 2021 was observed precisely from Moldova – supplies doubled and reached 19.4 thousand tonnes. Supplies of Iranian apples increased by 9% to 9 thousand tonnes, while Serbia reduced the exports of apples to Russia in September by 7% to 2.8 thousand tons. By the way, in August-September 2021, supplies of Serbian apples to the Russian Federation were one third lower than in 2020. Turkey, on the other hand, continued to increase its exports – apple exports to Russia in September 2021 were 23% higher than in the same month of 2020.

Сообщение More challenges on the Russian market for apple exporters from Serbia, Turkey, Iran, New Zealand and South Africa появились сначала на EastFruit.

Blueberry harvest continues in Georgia, with almost two weeks left until the end of the 2021 season. The season started a week later this year, in the first days of June despite this fact producers had positive expectations at the beginning. How has changed their expectations now, when almost half of the harvest is sold and new regulations on plant products imports came into force in Russia starting from June 29?

This week blueberry producers and exporters panicked after they heard that the Russian market may be closed for Georgian blueberries as Russia is the main export market for Georgian blueberries. Following this, National Food Agency of Georgia (NFA) has published an announcement regarding this subject. According to the announcement, plant produce export to Russia continues without any difficulties. At the same time, NFA confirms that Russia has tightened regulations on imported plant produce, including fresh fruits and vegetables, and if necessary Rosselkhoznadzor is entitled to request additional documentation on pesticide use or conduct a laboratory test.

The official announcement does not seem convincing for producers as they have not experienced yet how new regulation works in practice. The last batches of blueberry arrived in Russia before the new regulation and the new ones have not crossed the border yet. The uncertainty has already affected the local market. Large producers who were buying blueberries from smaller farmers either stopped buying or offering lower prices. Although, producers note that prices were getting lower anyway because the Russian market is supplied by Serbian blueberry now and the quality of Georgian blueberry is getting lower as the season comes to an end.

FCO is among the largest producers of blueberry in Georgia with 36 hectares of bearing blueberry plantation in the Guria region. Company representative Rati Morchiladze told EastFruit that from the beginning of the season until 28 June the company was buying blueberry from other growers, as it has the full post-harvesting chain and can handle the colling, sorting, and packaging process. Starting from current week the company stopped buying blueberry because of the uncertainty regarding the new regulations on the Russian market.

“As we know the new regulation gives Russian side the right to request additional documentation on pesticide use and test the product in the laboratory, if necessary. As we do not control what kind of pesticides are used by other producers it is risky for us to buy and sell their product on the Russian market.”

According to Morchiladze company has already sold 20 tons of blueberry for exports and plans to send another batch of 30 tons at the end of this week. 11 tons out of 30 will be sent to Germany for the first time. Morchiladze states that potential problems on the Russian market will not affect their business in the future as the company has a Global G.A.P. certificate and plans to increase exports to European markets. Overall Morchiladze evaluates the current season positively as company reached new markets this year. Blueberry season will last for another two weeks in Guria.

Another large blueberry producer is Green Valley (Mtsvane Mdelo in Georgian) with 15 hectares in Imereti region. Company has already harvested and exported over 25 tons of blueberry to Russia which is more than 2/3 of the harvest this year as this is their second year of getting a harvest. Company representative Zura Tsereteli tells EastFruit that situation on Russian market is uncertain for them too, but as company sells only its own blueberry and season ends in 10 days, they are less concerned. For Green Valley current season is good, despite recent developments as at the beginning export price was quite high and remained at the relatively high level for long period. Tsereteli thinks that high prices at the beginning was connected to the late harvesting this year and that Imereti region started selling first. Another positive development for the company this year was to receive Global G.A.P. certificate.

According to producers at the beginning of the season blueberry exports prices on Russian market started from $6-$8 per kg, but now prices are about $5.5-$6 per kg.

Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia has published newest data on blueberry exports in social media, from 1 May to 29 June 2021 Georgia has exported 376 tons of blueberry of which 363 tons were exported to Russia. Country received 2,429 thousand USD of export revenues.

Сообщение Unexpected development of blueberry season in Georgia появились сначала на EastFruit.

There has been panic on the Georgian fruit and vegetable market for several days as on June 29, 2021, the provisions of the RF Law on the Safe Handling of Pesticides and Agrochemicals were said to come into force. Information on the safe handling of pesticides and agrochemicals will be exchanged with national or authorized organizations that provide state control in the field under the law. Furthermore, plant products intended for import from the Eurasian Economic Union non-member-states will be inspected in places of production and verification of compliance with mandatory requirements for the use of pesticides and agrochemicals.

This was communicated mainly by traders who form exports volumes and complain that due to uncertainty in the market, the exports of fruit and vegetables has been suspended. As a result, prices for Georgia’s main export fruit and vegetable products – blueberries and peaches – have decreased during high season, which began later due to the cold spring.

The harvest season for peaches and nectarines began last week. Nectarines, more demanded than peaches, dropped in price from 1.8-2 GEL/kg ($ 0.57- $ 0.64) to 1.30-1.50/kg ($ 0.40- $ 0.48) in two days. Although farmers expected better prices and high demand for their products, since this year 36 refrigeration farms are involved in the export process, while last year there were only 23 of them.

Blueberries have also dropped in price – refrigeration facilities for exports accept berries at $ 3 per kg! According to large producers that exports directly, the price has decreased due to uncertainty and to Serbian producers entering the Russian market. The exports price of Georgian blueberries is $ 5-5.50 now.

Information about the new requirements was confirmed by several official sources of the Ministry, but there is no detailed information on the requirements for fruit and vegetable products and how the inspection will be carried out. According to farmers, representatives of the food safety agency took samples of products from Kakheti for laboratory analysis, but the details and objectives of the tests are unknown.

Read also: Blueberry exports from Georgia can reach 5,000 tons by 2023

According to official data, Georgia exported 9,279 tons of peaches, 16,016 tons of nectarines and 663 tons of blueberries in 2020. Exports revenues from the sale of peaches and nectarines amounted to more than USD 21 million and those from the export of blueberries – USD 3.7 million. 80% of Georgia’s exports earnings of peaches and 95% of those from the exports of blueberries come from the Russian Federation.

Сообщение Is Russia banning imports from Georgia during the high season or are exporters trying to reduce producer prices? появились сначала на EastFruit.