EastFruit continues to analyze the results for 2021. In this article, we present our version of the TOP-10 events of 2021 in the fruit and vegetable sector of Moldova.

1. Weather anomalies affecting the quality of fruit and vegetables and their marketing

Moldova is experiencing abnormal weather for the second year in a row. If in 2020 farmers of the country, where the area under irrigation is one of the lowest in Europe, suffered from the worst drought in recent decades, then 2021 was marked by heavy rains.

Spring 2021 was unusually cold, prolonged and rainy, which affected the start of the growing season of all crops. Hot summer allowed to minimize the lag in the ripening of fruits and vegetables as much as possible, but rainy and cool weather in autumn again prevented the timely harvesting and caused a delay in the ripening of vegetables, fruits and grapes. What is most unpleasant, it affected their quality.

In the fruit sector, the lag of peak harvesting and the entry of the new harvest on the market averaged two weeks (for table grapes of late varieties it was up to three weeks). Growers were often unsure of the high quality of grapes, apples and other fruits and vegetables, and unlike previous seasons, they tried to sell them as soon as possible. There were also other reasons, but we will talk about them later.

Thus, the main share of export-grade plums of the 2021 harvest was sold by mid-November, i.e. about two weeks earlier than usual. In Moldova, this is the second case in the last 7 years when there were almost no plums left in the refrigerators of agricultural producers and traders at the end of December.

A similar situation for table grapes is noted: the export volume in autumn 2021 significantly exceeded the normal one in recent years. According to experts, the country’s winegrowers exported at least 70-80% of all table grapes by the end of autumn, which is for the better.

Finally, the most striking example of a change in the marketing strategy in the fruit business of Moldova is the fresh apple market. In autumn 2021, Moldova exported much more apples than in the same periods of the previous two years.

This is an important fact considering that the bulk of apples of the 2020 harvest from cold storage facilities were sold in January-June 2021. This strategy used to work and allowed to get a higher price than in September-December, but the situation has changed dramatically last season. Production volumes and apple storage capacities in Russia have grown, and competition in the regional and global markets has reached an unprecedented level described in the article “#freshsapplecrisis”.

Therefore, it was a huge surprise for the players on the Moldovan fruit market that apple prices fell in the second half of the 2020/21 season and there was almost no demand in Russia. As a result, according to expert estimates, at least 40 thousand tonnes of high-quality apples of the 2020 harvest from fruit storage facilities were processed into concentrate.

It seems that Moldovan growers drew conclusions and began to actively export apples of autumn varieties in September 2021, shortly after they were harvested. Only time will tell how correct these conclusions are. It is definitely not worth rushing to extremes.

But what Moldovan farmers should pay attention to is improving the quality of apples in order to bring it up to international standards. To do this, it is worth taking advantage of the experience of neighboring Ukraine, which has successfully diversified apple exports after the ban on their export to Russia.

2. Record volumes of apple and plum processing

According to the estimates of organizations of growers and processors of fruit and vegetables, at least 320-330 thousand tonnes of apples have been processed in Moldova in 2021. About tens of thousands of tonnes will be sent from cold storage facilities to apple juice concentrate factories next spring. In total, the country will process about 350 thousand tonnes of apples from the 2021 harvest, which is very close to a new record.

On average, nearly 300-340 thousand tonnes of industrial apples were sent for processing over the past five years. However, this isn’t the reason to be proud, because the more apples are sold for processing, the less growers earn. Grovers receive on average 5-10 times less for industrial apples than for those sold on the fresh market. To learn why growing industrial apples is a futile business area, read this blog. This once again confirms our theses that ended the first point – Moldovan farmers urgently need to improve the quality of apples.

Plum processing volumes were also very high this year. However, the main reason was bad weather, namely the excessive rains in May, in the first half of summer, and during harvesting in autumn. This affected the possibilities of long-term storage of plums, so the farmers decided not to risk it.

According to expert estimates, at least 30-40 thousand tonnes of plums were processed in the country. At the same time, thousands of tonnes were sent for processing (into distillates and spirits) and to neighboring Romania. At a certain point, it was these supplies that relieved stress from the domestic market and allowed farmers to keep wholesale prices for plums at an acceptable level.

3. New attempts to diversify apple exports

At each point we return to the largest problem – the quality of apples grown in Moldova. Quality will again be a key stumbling block for new attempts to diversify Moldovan apple exports.

As Ukraine’s experience in diversifying fruit exports shows, high-quality apples can be sold in the countries of the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia more expensive than in Russia. To this end, apples need to be grown, stored using high-quality and proven ethylene inhibitors, properly handled, sorted on an optical sorting line, packed in high-quality cardboard boxes, which are different from those used for deliveries to Russia and even to the EU. Also, it should be learned how to pack them for a 30-40, and sometimes even 55-day trip in a sea refrigerated container.

Do not forget that having high-quality apples, you also need to learn how to find buyers for them, as well as sell profitably. That is, you have to invest both time and money in marketing. In 2019, the FAO-EBRD project held the largest B2B forum in Moldova with apple buyers from around the world. Moldovan suppliers could not meet the basic requirements of apple importers then, although there were attempts to make trial deliveries, and the importers’ interest in purchasing fruits in the country. We launched virtual trade missions during the pandemic, and our video about apple suppliers from Moldova was watched by many potential importers worldwide.

The exports of apples from Moldova outside the post-Soviet countries totaled less than 1,000 tonnes since then. Apple exports are unlikely to be much higher this season. However, new attempts to diversify them are better than none. In particular, we wrote about the negotiations of the FreshTime cooperative on the export to the UAE. The attempts of this and other large horticultural/commercial enterprises to enter apple markets in Egypt, India and other countries are also noteworthy.

4. Record high prices for walnuts

 Global walnut prices plummeted to record lows in the 2020/21 season. Rapidly growing areas and production volumes, especially in the global market leader USA, put pressure on nut prices in the world. It was also aggravated by trade wars between the United States and some Asian countries, which led to a reorientation of American walnut supplies to the European market. Therefore, walnut prices in Moldova, despite a relatively low harvest, were shockingly low last season. In particular, the demand remained low even in the second half of the season, and buyers were constantly reducing the price level.

Thus, there was almost no demand for walnut seedlings in Moldova, and the establishment of new orchards was suspended. For nursery growers this was aggravated by the complication of export of seedlings from Moldova to the EU. Similar was observed in neighboring states – there was no interest in laying new walnut plantations due to record low prices. Moreover, the first cases of uprooting orchards that have reached fruiting were reported.

The situation changed dramatically in the middle of 2021. A drought in the state of California, USA, where the bulk of the world’s premium quality walnut is grown, has led to a downward revision of production forecasts. Despite record acreage, US walnut production fell sharply in 2021, leading to a series of unprecedented price increases starting in June 2021.

Accordingly, wholesale prices for walnut kernels of the new harvest in Moldova reached a five-year maximum by the beginning of December, having increased to 140 MDL/kg ($8/kg). At some point, their prices in Moldovan retail approached a historical record – about 250 MDL/kg ($14/kg). Moreover, this was the price in bazaars, and not in store retail, where kernels in consumer packaging have always been expensive in Europe.

Taking into account the growing global prices, the Moldovan EastFruit team does not exclude that the volume of proceeds from the export of Moldovan walnuts will set new records and reach $100-120 million this marketing season.

The prerequisites for the price records are obvious: the demand from exporters remains very high now, and the walnut harvest in Moldova turned out to be relatively low in 2021 – approximately 25-30 thousand tonnes in hard shells.

Another problem of the industry was exposed this year – an acute shortage of workers. According to the representatives of the Union of Associations of Producers of Nut Crops of Moldova (UAPCN), the volume of walnuts harvested in forests and along the roads has sharply decreased this year.

Considering the record high prices this season, it cannot be ruled out that investors in Moldova will again pay attention to investments in walnuts. After all, walnut production keeps developing in the country. While walnuts went out of fashion, Moldovan farmers were establishing hazelnut and almond plantations. Therefore, according to expert estimates, the total area of ​​nut orchards in Moldova reached 17-20 thousand hectares in 2021. Perhaps this sector of Moldovan fruit growing is ready for investment in processing infrastructure in the near future.

It should be reminded that cultivation and processing of walnuts are developing fast in Georgia that used to import them from Moldova. You can see how a modern walnut processing plant works there at this link, and read about it here.

5. Fresh apricot exports record

Apricots have unexpectedly become one of the most demanded segments of the stone fruit market in Moldova. The country exported about 5.5 thousand tonnes of apricots to 16 European countries in 2021.

There were objective reasons for this – problems with frost in the EU countries that led to great losses in the apricot harvest. Similar problems have arisen in Central Asia, in particular in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The latter is one of the five largest exporters of apricot globally. Therefore, it is not surprising that apricot prices were high and the demand for apricots from Moldova rose sharply.

Accordingly, the exports of fresh apricots from Moldova in 2021 was a record and several times exceeded the corresponding figures for the last 3-4 years. This is all the more pleasant because many horticultural enterprises that grow stone fruits considered apricots a “by-product” of the production of cherries and sour cherries. In other words, apricot orchards were previously planted to employ full-time and seasonal workers, usually enrolled for caring for and harvesting other stone fruits.

Obviously, exports records in 2021 became possible not because of Moldova’s success in the segment, but because of frost issues in other countries. By the way, European farmers are now trying to solve the frost problem by purchasing wind machines and investing in the cultivation of premium-quality stone fruits in greenhouses.

6. Cherry quality issues

The main problem for cherry growers for the second year in a row is maintaining cherry quality. It has been significantly affected by precipitation on the eve of and during harvesting in the past few years. Moreover, this happens both in rainy and dry seasons.

On the other hand, the segment of cherry and sour cherry production is one of the few in the stone fruit sector that has showed a stable growth in acreage over the past five years: from 3.5 thousand tonnes and 3.2 thousand hectares in 2017 to 4.5 thousand tonnes and 4.2 thousand hectares in 2021.

For the further development of the segment, especially in terms of export potential, it is crucial for growers to invest in anti-rain protection or in the cultivation of premium cherries for exports in greenhouses (here you can read and see how to grow large-fruited cherries in greenhouses). However, growing cherries is half the battle. You also need to learn how to cool them (preferably with hydrocooling), sort and properly pack for transportation. You can see how this is done in one of the most modern enterprises in Uzbekistan in this video.

7. Reducing subsidies for fruit growing in Moldova

The subsidies for orchards and vineyards were sharply reduced in Moldova in 2021. According to preliminary data by the Agency for Investments and Payments in Agriculture (AIPA), the department received 468 applications from agricultural producers for post-investment subsidies in connection with the establishment of new, modernization or removing of old plantations of perennial crops for a total of 70.5 million MDL (about $4 million) in 2021. This is 14% of the total amount of subsidies for the development of agriculture and rural areas requested by private economic entities this year – 507 million MDL (about $29 million).

Last year, AIPA received 1,119 applications for subsidizing investments in perennial plantations in the amount of 212.5 million MDL (about $12.8 million), of which the department authorized slightly more than 1,000 applications of about 181 million MDL (about $11 million). This is approximately 15% of the state fund for agricultural subsidies last year.

Farmers were not happy with the reduction in subsidies. However, this is positive for creating a more sustainable horticultural business model in the country in the long term.

8. Protectionism in domestic trade

Amendments to the law on internal trade were adopted in Moldova, obliging grocery stores to allocate at least 50% of shelves for products produced in Moldova. Some additional regulations were adopted to introduce the measure at the government level, but they were not enough. As a result, this provision of the law never started to work in practice.

Some high-ranking government officials declared that this idea was “anachronistic”. Opposition politicians and many organizations of agricultural producers consider this provision of the law not perfect, but strongly oppose its repeal. Nevertheless, producers of fruit and vegetables in Moldova are already concerned about the authorities’ plans to deprive them of preferences in local retail, which they actually do not have.

However, as international experience shows, such decisions only exacerbate the problems of farmers, trade, the state, and end consumers. After all, if they are applied in Moldova, consumers will be limited in the choice of quality products, and will have to overpay for locally produced ones. Accordingly, consumer spending will rise, and access to quality fruits and vegetables will be limited. Likewise, the quality of products in stores will deteriorate, leading to an outflow of consumers into unorganized trade. It means both the volume of revenue of the chains and the amount of taxes paid by them to the state budget will decrease. Most importantly, as we have already mentioned many times, the motivation of Moldovan farmers to dramatically improve the quality of fruit and vegetables, which is the main obstacle on the country’s path to export diversification, will decrease.

9. Low prices for potatoes

Low potato prices in Moldova in the 2020/21 season did not lead to a decrease in the area planted with potatoes, as many might expect. By the way, the prices were low due to the lockdowns in the EU and the lack of potato processing for the needs of the HoReCa segment then. Therefore, imported potatoes pushed prices in the country down as well.

Why didn’t the area planted with potatoes in Moldova decrease in 2021? Instead of selling marketable potatoes cheaply, potato growers decided to turn them into seed potatoes, and put back in the ground hoping for a higher price in the 2021/22 season.

As we understand it, the result is the opposite of what was expected. From the very beginning of the 2021/22 season, the lowest prices for potatoes were established in Moldova in comparison with other countries of the EastFruit price monitoring, and even for exported potatoes from Moldova to Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Balkans!

For a number of reasons, including the savings on pesticides and the declining level of agricultural technologies, the quality of the potato harvest in Moldova was rather low, limiting export opportunities and continuing to put pressure on prices.

Claims of seed potato suppliers in Moldova that some of their clients intend to reduce or even give up potato production in favor of grains next year are not surprising.

10. Increase in subsidies for agricultural insurance

An amendment was made to the Moldovan Law on Subsidized Insurance of Agricultural Risks, increasing the share of subvention in the insurance premium from 50% to 70%. Thanks to this, the total amount of insurance premiums collected by the insurance companies of Moldova in 2021 has increased considerably. Damage payments for insured events have also sharply increased.

In addition, the Moldovan government adopted a new (expanded) list of risks and crops at the end of 2021, the insurance of which can be subsidized from the state fund for supporting agricultural producers and rural areas. One of the paramount innovations in the list are clearly formulated risks associated with a decrease in the quality (and price) of fruit crops. For example, growers have the right to insure against the loss of the quality of apples damaged by hail and for this reason sold not on the “fresh market”, but for processing. Probably next year there will be corresponding insurance products and demand for them.

If you think that we have missed some important events for the produce business in Moldova, please write in the comments section.

Сообщение TOP-10 events of the produce business in Moldova in 2021 появились сначала на EastFruit.

According to the players of the Moldovan fruit market, since the beginning of the last week of November, the wholesale price for local plums of the 2021 harvest has dropped to the level of late September – early October. Traders are now ready to pay no more than 8-9 MDL/kg ($0.46-0.51/kg) even for high-quality plums of the “President” variety that remained in the refrigerators of agricultural enterprises. The maximum wholesale price for their single export batches reached 14-15 MDL/kg ($0.80-0.85/kg) in early November. Traders explain the sharp decline in demand prices by a decrease in interest in plums both in the European and Russian markets – the average consumer switched to seasonal fruits: apples and citrus fruits.

Read also: Lolly Berry from Moldova – an example of efficient cultivation of niche berries

Nonetheless, retail prices for “President” and, especially, “Angelino” plums in supermarket chains have grown significantly by the end of November – up to 20 MDL/kg ($1.13/kg) and more. Moreover, it is Moldovan plums that still predominate on supermarket shelves, even in the case of the Eastern Chinese plums. Plums’ caliber is mostly small this year, due to excessive rainfall and cool weather in the first half of summer, but it did not affect the price level.

Retailers note that Moldovan plums are no longer in great demand since the second half of November and are purchased by chains just to maintain a variety of goods in the fruit and vegetable departments. Accordingly, the price for late local plums is set at a relatively high level, close to that set by stores for imported winter plums.

Сообщение Wholesale prices for plums in Moldova have fallen, but retail prices have risen sharply появились сначала на EastFruit.

According to the estimates of growers and traders, less than 1 thousand tonnes of plums are left in the storage facilities of Moldova now. This volume is likely to be sold mainly in the domestic retail market. The latest export deliveries are likely to take place this week.

In fact, the season of  plum sales ended earlier than the managers of the trade enterprises had expected. According to them, about 8 thousand tonnes of marketable plums remained in the cold storage facilities of traders and growers at the end of October. If demand and prices decreased, sales could stretch until the end of November. However, prices have remained at a consistently high level for the fifth week – 10-12 MDL/kg, $0.57-0.68/kg, which is more typical for winter than for autumn. Probably, this circumstance predetermined the high rate of sales.

According to the data of the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova, as of the end of October, 48.5 thousand tonnes of plums were exported from the country, of which 26 thousand tonnes – to the EU countries. The export volume of Moldovan plums amounted to almost 53 thousand tonnes in 2020, and to the European market – just below 23 thousand tonnes.

However, in the structure of Moldovan plum exports to the European Union, the share of plums sent for processing has increased this year. According to the estimates of the customs department, the average price of exported plums in August-October was 8.2 MDL/kg ($0.47/kg).

Сообщение The season for local plums in Moldova will end earlier than expected появились сначала на EastFruit.

According to EastFruit analysts, one of the surprises of the fresh plum season in 2021 is the record low price on the Ukrainian market. We recently covered the reasons in detail in our regional overview of the plum market in Eastern Europe.

However, another surprise was that Ukraine starts to put pressure on Moldova in foreign markets, despite the almost complete lack of experience in exporting plums. First of all, quality parameters and stable supplies of plums are important for fruit importers from the European Union, but in 2021 Ukraine is doing well with the quality of plums and even the volumes offered by growers are quite large.

Therefore, Ukrainian plums are actively exported to Poland, where prices are much higher. Also, Ukrainian plums are being supplied to the traditional Moldovan sales market – Romania. Another market where Ukrainian plums are much more competitive than Moldovan ones is Belarus. Transport costs for exporting plums to Belarus are much lower, because fruit exporters from Moldova have to supply products to Belarus through the territory of Ukraine.

The largest importer of plums in the region is, of course, Russia. In fact, it is the world’s main buyer of plums. However, plum prices there began to decline, and it is suggested this was due to the re-exports of Ukrainian plums through Belarus.

However, there is another unexpected factor that affects the Russian plum market – exports from Georgia. Prices for plums in Georgia are now even lower than in Ukraine. Georgia has not previously been a major supplier of plums to Russia, but it looks like it will become one in 2021.

Сообщение Plum: Ukraine unexpectedly becomes a competitor for Moldova появились сначала на EastFruit.

Representatives of the Speranța Con Association of Canned Fruit and Vegetable Producers, referring to a survey of the orchards of its members and of several fruit-growing enterprises in the southern and central regions of Moldova, concluded that the plum harvest this year may at least be equal to last year (about 65 thousand tons). Given favorable weather and logistics that means no losses during the harvesting, the gross production of plums may exceed 70 thousand tons.

Earlier EastFruit reported that experts of agricultural producers’ associations in July-August forecasted a low harvest of 2021 plums – about 20-30% lower than last year. Meanwhile, the 2020 plum harvest was the lowest in several years. Since the middle of the last decade, the plum harvest in the country has rarely fallen below 100 thousand tons. The pessimistic forecast on the eve of the current season was explained by the effect of biological periodicity – a sharp decline in harvest in the orchards that had a good harvest in the last, extremely dry year.

In addition, when harvesting started, some farmers underestimated the expected yield, given that many fruits cracked from excess moisture. However, the representatives of Speranța Con believe that some farmers exaggerate the influence of the “cracking effect”.

Сообщение The 2021 plums harvest may turn out to be higher than expected in Moldova появились сначала на EastFruit.

In the first decade of August, the increase in wholesale prices for plums outlined in the second half of July continued on the Moldovan market. At the same time, there is price polarization taking place: plums for the domestic market are still sold at no more than 10-11 MDL/kg ($ 0.56-0.61/kg) and plums for exports have risen to 14-15 MDL/kg ($ 0 ,78-0.84/kg).

Traders claim that this alignment is natural. Stagnation, and in some cases a decrease in wholesale prices for plums in the urban markets of the country is associated with a decreasing demand for relatively expensive fruit and vegetables during summer holidays (outflow of the population). In addition, the consequences of precipitation and hail at the turn of July and August have their impact. Partially, the quality of products on the domestic market has lowered.

Meanwhile, according to the operators of the Moldovan fruit and vegetable market, the export flow is gradually growing. In particular, exports of Moldovan plums of the Petestianka variety demanded on the Romanian market, have started to Romania. This year, the harvest of this variety is low both in Romania and Moldova, which explains the rise in their prices.

It should be noted that at the beginning of August 2021, wholesale prices for plums are one and a half to two times higher than in the same period last year.

Сообщение Prices for high-quality plums continue to rise in Moldova thanks to exports появились сначала на EastFruit.

Russian growers have started the peak sale of plums, analysts of the EastFruit project report. Despite the harvesting season starting on average a week later, the prices for the first plums this year are much lower than last year.

Today, growers are selling plums at 20-42 RUB/kg ($ 0.27-0.58/kg), depending on the variety and quality. This is almost 1.5 times cheaper than the first batches last year. For comparison, in the same period last year, the first batches of plums on the market were sold from 40 RUB/kg ($ 0.55/kg).

According to farmers, unlike other stone fruits, plums overwintered well, so their harvest will be slightly higher than a year ago. Another factor for such low plum prices at the very beginning of the season was the almost complete lack of demand in this segment. At the same time, the majority of growers do not lose hope that prices for plums will rise when the later Stenley plums start to go on the market. This variety is suitable not only for the fresh market, but also in good demand as prune.

Сообщение In Russia the first plums are sold on average 1,5 times cheaper than last year появились сначала на EastFruit.

A new season of tkemali (herry plums) has started in Georgia, retail prices per kilogram start at 12 GEL ($ 3.48) and reach 25 GEL ($ 7.24) in supermarkets, but this is only the beginning of the season and we expect prices to drop significantly in a few weeks. EastFruit  is interested in the prospects of producing and exporting tkemali sauce this season. We talked about it with the largest producers in Georgia.

Cherry plum in Georgia is mainly used to make a sauce that almost every family produces at home and stores for the winter. Tkemali trees are mostly found on family farms in small areas, but relatively large orchards have emerged after fruit and vegetable processing companies appeared. All processing companies collect tkemali from the local population and intermediaries. The procurement process will begin at the end of May. Last year, wholesale prices for tkemali fluctuated within 0.6-1.2 GEL ($ 0.19 – $ 0.39). Processors believe that prices will remain the same this year, as the demand for tkemali sauce is growing in export markets – the US, EU, Israel, Canada, China.

The largest producer of canned fruit and vegetable products in Georgia is the Marneuli Food Factory, which also produces tkemali sauce. The Factory is located in Kvemo Kartli, Marneuli municipality. The products of the Marneuli Food Plant are sold both on the local and exports markets. Last year, the plant planned to process up to 500 tons of tkemali, but failed to gather this volume, and the company’s representative Vano Tsukilashvili explains the reasons. One is the fluctuation in yield every year, which is determined by climatic conditions. Tkemali plants often suffer from early spring frosts and rains, as its flowering coincides with a period of variable weather. The second reason is the lack of more commercial producers – mainly small farmers and family farms produce tkemali, which complicates the process of collecting the required volume of raw materials.

To mitigate the risks, over the past few years, the company has started growing its own tkemali orchards. Currently, Marneuli Agro, a subsidiary of the Marneuli Food Factory, owns a 60-hectare orchard in Kvemo Kartli, Marneuli municipality. According to Tsukilashvili, the company expects about 60 tons of harvest this year, but when the orchard reaches maximum yield, its production will increase the self-sufficiency of production to 60%. The company plans to process up to 500 tons of tkemali again this year.

Another company that produces tkemali sauce and various canned fruits and vegetables is a subsidiary of KTW – Nena. The company has two enterprises in Western Georgia, Guria and Adjara. Sauces are produced at a facility located in Adjara. Nena plans to process up to 300 tons from 130 tons last year. The company does not have its own orchards and is entirely dependent on local tkemali producers.

Director of Kula, one of the largest producers of canned fruits and vegetables in Georgia, Ivane Goglidze notes that collecting the required amount of tkemali was problematic for the company in the past, and they decided to plant their own orchard two years ago. At the moment, the company owns a 15-hectare tkemali orchard, although the harvest from it is still very low. Goglidze assumes that they will increase their own production of tkemali by another 10 hectares in the coming years. The company plans to process 500-700 tons of tkemali this year.

The Marneuli combine plans to export about 15% of the sauce in Europe and the United States this year. Kula plans to export 60% to 25 countries of the world, and Nena – about 80% to Israel, EU countries, China and Canada.

The official statistics on tkemali sauce export from Georgia is not available, since the corresponding code (2103 90 – Other products for making sauces and ready-made sauces, flavoring additives and mixed seasonings) contains data on the export of various sauces, and the National Statistics Service of Georgia does not provide information on individual products. However, it should be noted that products worth more than one million US dollars were exported from Georgia under this code in 2020, which is the highest figure in the last five years.

According to the processors, the tkemali harvest in Georgia will increase in a few years, as farmers have already planted new orchards. They hope to support the growing export demand with the growing harvest.

Pavle Koguashvili grows tkemali and alucha on 4.5 hectares in Kakheti, Lagodekhi municipality, and sells the entire crop to the Marneuli food factory. The orchard is already seven years old, and the farmer expects 30–35 tons of harvest this year. Koguashvili says tkemali is one of the most financially profitable fruit culture at the moment because its price is high compared to the cost of maintaining an orchard. The farmer received 1 GEL ($ 0.32) per kilogram of tkemali and alucha last year. Koguashvili himself raised seedlings for his own orchard, although the market price of one seedling today is 4-6 GEL ($ 1.16 – $ 1.74) in nurseries (depending on the volume). The number of seedlings per hectare is up to the farmer – 330 to 500 seedlings per hectare can be planted. Respectively, the initial investment in the orchard can range 1485-3000 GEL ($ 430 – $ 869) per 1 hectare. The annual maintenance of an orchard of ​​1 hectare costs around 600-730 GEL ($ 174 – $ 211), including the cost of pesticide treatments and fertilization. The costs do not include the irrigation system and water supply, which are not available in this orchard, but the farmer says that the irrigation system is necessary for all perennial orchards due to climate change. In the future, the farmer plans to establish new orchards, hoping to increase the area of ​​tkemali production to 40-50 hectares.

Despite the fact that some producers have estimated a good yield of tkemali this year, it is not yet clear what the harvest will be and whether the demand of the processing plants will be fully satisfied. EastFruit will continue to monitor market developments throughout the season.

Сообщение Tkemali sauce is becoming more popular on export markets появились сначала на EastFruit.

Many stone fruits orchards are blooming in Moldova in the middle of the third decade of April. However, the relatively low average temperature prevents their intensive pollination. Farmers fear that this factor will significantly affect the productivity of orchards: the potential yield of stone fruits (probably, except for plums, which have just started blooming) may decrease in some areas by 10-15% or more.

Horticultural experts note that for high activity of bees, night temperature should be above + 5-7 degrees, and morning and evening temperature should be above + 10-12 degrees Celsius. It was often much cooler in April 2021, with variable cloud cover. Bees were flying only for several hours and rarely in such conditions. Only bumblebees, which can pollinate even in windy weather at + 5-7 degrees Celsius, worked stably. However, only a few horticultural enterprises in the country have bumblebees for pollination.

Farmers hope that the pollen remains moist during the rainy season, and therefore viable for a longer period. There will be enough time for pollination since the end of the first week of May, when warm weather is expected to settle in the country.

Сообщение Unfavorable conditions for pollination will significantly affect the yield of stone fruit in Moldova появились сначала на EastFruit.

At the end of last year citing the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA) and the customs service, Moldovan farmer organizations reported that in 2020 almost 23,000 tons of plums were exported from the country to the European Union and in 2019, nearly 20,000 tons. This fruit was exported to 14 countries: Romania (10,500 tons), Poland (3,200 tons), Germany (2,600 tons), and Croatia (1,500 tons) are the largest buyers of Moldovan plums on the European market. Compared to the data for 2019, supplies to Romania decreased by 14% but in the other three countries, they increased by 112%, 88%, and 136% respectively. Representatives from the Moldovan farmer organizations believe that the dynamics of export growth to the EU could have been higher if farmers had previously created a centralized system for product purchases to form large consignments of goods throughout the marketing season.

According to Andriy Zbanka, an expert with the Federation of Agricultural Producers of Moldova (FARM), plum production in Moldova is concentrated mainly on small farms of several hectares to several dozen hectares of plum orchards. Despite the total area of ​​plum plantations (22,700 hectares) being almost half the area of ​​apple orchards (50,000 hectares) in the country, the total number of plum growers is significantly greater than that of apple producers.

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Traders specializing in plum purchases and exports have to conduct business with numerous small farmers. Yet, the volumes of products merchants put in refrigerated storage for subsequent external deliveries rarely exceed 500-800 tons. Meanwhile, many European buyers in the last two or three years have been interested in systematic supplies during the plum season of at least 1,000-2,000 tons.

“In the European market, a Moldovan plum can be quite competitive in terms of sensory characteristics. However, in order for this product to be remembered and preferred by consumers, sufficiently large deliveries are required strictly according to the schedule established by the retail network. We are not entitled to send to the buyer one batch of goods within the agreed period and the other with a delay of a week or two. During this delay, the consumer will switch to the products of other suppliers, and in the worst case, they will forget about us altogether,” says Andriy Zbanka.

According to the expert, the problem can and should be solved by the merger of farms and small agricultural enterprises into large business cooperatives. The management of such structures would be able to monitor the requirements of certain markets in terms of the quantity and quality of agricultural products, its assortments, residual pesticide content, packaging and labelling, etc. Thanks to such cooperatives, farmers would be able to participate in the formation of the “price chain” not only at the distance between the farm and the refrigerator but at all other stages as well.

Сообщение Cooperatives will help Moldovan plum producers occupy niche in EU market появились сначала на EastFruit.