The export volume of Chilean cherries to Russia at the beginning of February 2022 exceeded the volume exported in the previous season and reached 176 tonnes. Exports to the Russian market are planned to continue until the beginning of March, including holiday deliveries for St. Valentine’s Day. The marketing support program by the Chilean Cherry Committee was launched in the 2021/22 season in Russia for the first time.

During the marketing campaign in Russia, a webinar was held for participants of the Russian fruit market, advertising banners were installed on FoodCity, and negotiations were held with leading retailers. An SMM campaign was also launched with lifestyle influencers to draw attention to the product and boost sales.

Despite the logistical crisis caused by the pandemic and the decrease in purchasing power, fresh cherries in winter attract the attention of suppliers and are demanded by buyers. During the 2021/22 season, Chilean cherries were sold in Azbuka Vkusa, METRO C&C, VkusVill, Fruit Lavka supermarkets, at the central farmers’ markets in Moscow and St. Petersburg and in online stores.

“The first year of the promotion of cherries from Chile in Russia coincided with the difficult times of the pandemic, which significantly affected the logistics and speed of deliveries. Despite difficulties, the season was a success. This year, Chilean suppliers organized maritime deliveries of cherries to Russian retail,” comments Sharif Carvajal, Marketing Director for Europe, Asia and the Middle East of the Chilean Association of Fruit Exporters (ASOEX).

The main slogan of the advertising campaign was ​​”Enjoy a wonderful moment.” Cherries from Chile can be an unusual and healthy gift for winter holidays, such as New Year’s Eve, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day. For people leading a healthy lifestyle, cherries can replace candies or cakes on their weekly shopping list.

You can find a list of suppliers of Chilean cherries at comitedecerezas.cl.

Сообщение Winter cherries from Chile: the launch of an advertising campaign and growing deliveries to Russia появились сначала на EastFruit.

The EastFruit team recognized weather disasters as the main event in the fruit and vegetable business of Uzbekistan in 2021. A comprehensive description of the TOP-10 events is available here: part 1, part 2.

In this material, we will provide you with a detailed analysis of how frosts affected the prices for fruits, nuts and vegetables in Uzbekistan in 2021, as well as their exports. The following fruits and nuts are reviewed here: apricot, apple, pear, cherry, peach, nectarine, plum, persimmon, almond, walnut, pistachio and table grapes.

The production volumes of many key fruits for Uzbekistan, especially of early varieties, have sharply decreased due to frost. Their prices in 2021 were also high, which affected the volume of both exports and domestic consumption.

As EastFruit analysts forecasted, the apricot crop suffered the most from frosts. During the mass harvest season in 2021, the average wholesale prices for apricots increased 6-7 times and ranged from 13 000 to 40 000 UZS/kg (from $1.2 to $3.8/kg), while in the same period in 2019-2020 average wholesale prices ranged from 2 000 to 6 000 UZS/kg (from $0.2 to $0.6).

With such prices and volumes available for exports, the exports volume of apricots has sharply decreased. Exports in physical terms amounted to only 9.5 thousand tonnes in 2021, having decreased by almost 6 times compared to 2020, and turned out to be the lowest exports volume in 5 years. Prior to that, Uzbekistan was actively increasing the exports of apricot, and became the second largest apricot exporter in the world in 2020, second only to Spain.

Further, the list of “victims” was continued by apple, pear, peach/nectarine, plum, persimmon, cherry, walnuts, pistachios and almonds.

Apple: in the third decade of June 2021 – in the midst of the harvest season for early apple varieties, their average wholesale prices were at least 2.5 times higher than in the 2020 and 2019 seasons. In the past few years, Uzbekistan has been searching for an export niche for early apples in more northern countries, primarily in Russia. However, there was no question of exporting at such high prices. Another factor was the unexpected drop in apple prices in Russia in the summer, as stocks in most countries of the region turned out to be record high, and even Turkey and Iran have increased apple supplies dramatically. At the same time, many seem to have forgotten that the demand for apples in summer in Russia always sharply decreases, because of seasonal berries, fruits and vegetables available on the market.

Fortunately, the early apple harvest was unusually low in Uzbekistan. At the end of June 2021, EastFruit experts forecasted a sharp decline in the exports of “summer” apples in 2021 compared to previous years. Later, the statistics on foreign trade confirmed this: the volume of apple exports from Uzbekistan from May to July 2021 amounted to 6 thousand tonnes, having decreased 2.8 times compared to 2020 and being the lowest in the last 5 years.

As for mid and late-ripening apple varieties, EastFruit published an article at the end of their mass harvest season – at the end of September 2021, covering the effect of frost on the apple harvest in different regions of the country. Weather anomalies had a severe negative impact on the apple harvest in Uzbekistan. Average wholesale apple prices in 2021 were at least a third higher than in the 2020 and 2019 seasons.

Pear: The pear harvest was more affected by early frosts than the apple harvest. The average wholesale price for pears was 22 000 UZS/kg ($2.1) even at the end of the harvest season for late-ripening varieties at the end of October 2021, which is 38% higher than on the same date in 2020 and 3 times higher than in 2019. From the beginning of November to December 25, 2021, wholesale prices for pears increased by another 14%, updating all records.

Although Uzbekistan is a net importer of pears, it exported 1 thousand tonnes of pears worth $1.1 million from June to September of last 2020. Due to the low harvest and high prices for pears, the volume of exports fell almost 3 times in physical terms, and exports earnings – 4.5 times in the same period in 2021.

Peach/Nectarine: In the 2021 season, their average wholesale prices were 2.5-3 times higher than in 2020 and 2019. Exports of peaches and nectarines amounted to 55.2 thousand tonnes in 2021, having decreased by 36% compared to 2020. Notably, Uzbekistan exported 82.2 thousand tonnes of peaches and nectarines in 2020, ranking 5th among their largest exporters in the world.

Plum: Average wholesale prices for plums in Uzbekistan during most of the 2021 season were about 3 times higher compared to the 2020 and 2019 seasons. In addition, the season was abnormally short in 2021 – there were no longer any plums offered on the wholesale markets in the second decade of September, whereas in 2020 plums were available on the market until mid-November.

Despite high prices and a short season, exports of fresh plums fell by only 14% in physical terms compared to 2020. At the same time, the exports have been declining for the second year in a row, indicating that the relatively low harvest in the 2021 season is not the only reason for the decline in exports in the final year. Moreover, the volume of exports of plums in physical terms in 2020 and 2021 was even lower than in 2017 and 2018. With the exception of 2019, there has been a steady downward trend in the dynamics of plum exports from Uzbekistan over the past 5 years.

Persimmon: After declining persimmon exports for two years in a row in 2018 and 2019, Uzbekistan exported a record volume of persimmon in 2020 and even entered the Top-4 largest exporters of persimmons in the world. However, the peak harvest of persimmons in 2021 started 10 days later than usual and the 2021 harvest was lower than in 2020 due to weather anomalies. In addition, the purchase prices of exporters from farmers in 2021 were higher than last year: they were about 30% higher at the beginning of October 2021, and by mid-October, they were already 70% higher than in 2020.

The season for exporting persimmons from Uzbekistan starts in the third decade of August and ends in the second half of January next year, but the peak accounting for about 98% of the total exports volume lasts from September to December inclusive. According to the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan, the export of Uzbek persimmon in physical terms reached 74 thousand tonnes from the beginning of August to December 25, 2021, which is 23% less than in the same period in 2020.

Obviously, the decline in the harvest of persimmons in Spain allowed Uzbekistan to get a higher price for its fruits when exported, but the harvest in Uzbekistan turned out to be lower than expected. Thus, local consumers also had to pay more for this traditional fruit, and its consumption in Uzbekistan has apparently decreased.

The cherry harvest was less affected by weather anomalies compared to other stone fruits. More precisely, it was the early varieties of cherries that were affected, as well as the harvest in those regions that supply cherries earlier than others.

Therefore, cherries became available in large volumes on the market and their mass harvesting in the 2021 season started 7-10 days later than last year, with rather high prices. At the beginning of the harvest season, average wholesale prices for cherries were 1.5-2 times higher than last year, depending on the caliber. Prices began to decline sharply as the harvest season entered a peak phase, and by its end, average wholesale prices were already 10-25% lower than last year, depending on the caliber. Moreover, the rate of decline in prices for large-caliber cherries was higher than for small ones.

In the article “Uzbekistan: the best cherries are exported cheap, and small cherries are expensive for the domestic market,” EastFruit analysts explained why prices for more valuable cherries that are suitable for exports declined much faster than those for smaller cherries.

Nevertheless, cherry became the only product among stone fruits, the export volume of which Uzbekistan sharply increased in 2021, and exports doubled to 60.1 thousand tonnes in physical terms (worth $83.1 million) against 29.3 thousand tonnes (worth $56.4 million) in 2020. This was a record volume of cherries exported from Uzbekistan ever. However, the price was close to the anti-record.

Walnut: the harvesting of walnuts in Uzbekistan starts in early September, and EastFruit analysts made preliminary estimates of damage from weather anomalies to the walnut harvest based on interviews with farmers in mid-September 2021. According to producers, frost damage to the walnut harvest ranged from 5% to 50%, depending on the region. On average, Uzbek farmers received less than 20-30% of the walnut harvest.

At the end of the season of mass harvesting of walnuts, the average wholesale prices for inshell walnuts were 30-40% higher than last year.

Despite relatively high prices, exports of walnuts of the 2021 harvest increased. According to preliminary data, Uzbekistan exported 2.2 thousand tonnes of walnuts of the 2021 harvest worth $8.5 million from September to December 2021, which is almost 63% more in physical terms and 25% more in terms of export earnings compared to the same period in 2020.

Surprisingly, the physical volume of walnut exports from Uzbekistan increased more than the proceeds from them, while the global prices for walnuts were growing at record rates. Nevertheless, the exports price of Uzbek walnuts turned out to be lower than last year.

Pistachio: The frost damage to the pistachio harvest was much bigger than the damage to walnuts, which was reflected in its high prices. It should be reminded that pistachio mainly grows wild in the mountainous regions of Uzbekistan. However, interest in the industrial cultivation of pistachios in Uzbekistan has been steadily growing in recent years, and some very ambitious plans have been announced. Moreover, the conditions for growing pistachios in Uzbekistan are almost ideal.

Harvesting of Uzbek pistachio starts in the first decade of August and ends in the third decade of September. The average wholesale prices for pistachios were 160 000 UZS/kg at the end of the harvest season, i.e. at the end of September and the beginning of October 2021, which is 60% higher than in the same period in 2020 and 2019. Wholesale prices for pistachios remained at this level until the end of December 2021.

You can watch how pistachio is grown in California, USA in this video.

Almonds: according to the survey of farmers in Uzbekistan by EastFruit experts after the second wave of frosts in the second half of March 2021, the possible loss of almond harvest was estimated from 30% to 90% depending on the region. As low harvest was expected, prices for almonds in Uzbekistan literally skyrocketed. From late March to mid-June 2021, the average wholesale price for inshell almonds doubled – from 50 000 UZS/kg to 100 000 UZS/kg (from $4.8 to $9.4), which is about 80% higher than on the same date in 2020. Prices remained at this level until the 20th of August when the new harvest of mid-season almond varieties started.

However, wholesale prices for almonds began to fall then, and a steady downward trend formed in the market. From the end of August to the end of November 2021, the average wholesale prices for inshell almonds decreased 2.5 times and reached 40 000 UZS/kg ($3.7). As a result, the average wholesale prices for almonds from the end of November to the end of December 2021 were 35% lower than in the same period in 2020.

What explains such a sharp drop in prices for almonds after serious crop losses expected and no imports of almonds to Uzbekistan?

According to the Uzbek EastFruit team, there are two reasons for this. First, the worst loss expectations were met only on early almond varieties, the harvest of which starts at the end of July. The yield of mid-season and late varieties, the harvest of which starts in the second half of August and September, respectively, was better than expected. The second reason is the expansion of almond plantations in Uzbekistan. The market began to receive almonds from new orchards this year, which have begun to bear fruit, affecting prices.

Grapes: 

Weather anomalies in winter and the first two weeks of spring in Uzbekistan did not have a large impact on the grape harvest. However, the relatively low level of precipitation in spring, problems with irrigation in some areas of the central and southern regions of the country, as well as hot and dry summer, led to a decrease in grape yields in Uzbekistan in 2021.

Despite this, the volume of table grape production in 2021 was still higher than in 2020 due to the expansion of vineyard areas. Over the past four years, 52 000 hectares of new vineyards have been planted. As of early July 2021, grapes are grown in Uzbekistan on an area of ​​90 000 hectares. As a result, average wholesale prices for grapes in the 2021 season in Uzbekistan were about a quarter cheaper than in 2020.

No wonder that Uzbek producers and exporters faced an oversupply of table grapes on the Russian market in the midst of the export season. Moscow’s largest fruit and vegetable wholesale market, Food City, was oversaturated with grapes from Uzbekistan in late August and early September, and their prices were extremely low. This is quite natural, as the supply of grapes from competing countries such as Turkey, India, Moldova, Armenia, Iran and Azerbaijan keeps growing. Many of these countries offer more modern varieties in more modern and retail-friendly packaging.

As for the competitiveness of table grape varieties grown in Uzbekistan in foreign markets, including the possibility of opening new sales markets, the prospects for Uzbekistan are far from being promising, EastFruit analysts say. The article with a rating of the most popular varieties of table grapes in Uzbekistan published in May 2021 caused a heated discussion among winegrowers and showed that the industry needs to take urgent measures if it wants to maintain its position in this competitive market.

Uzbekistan is the largest exporter of table grapes in Central Asia and one of the Top-15 world’s largest exporters. Moreover, grapes are the main export position of Uzbekistan in the fruit and vegetable sector, especially if we take into account the exports of raisins. Unfortunately, the exports of Uzbek grapes is limited to post-Soviet countries – almost the entire export volume of Uzbek table grapes is bought by three countries: Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

At a meeting on the development of viticulture and industrial processing of grapes in July 2021, the head of state set the task to create new export-oriented plantations in 44 regions of Uzbekistan based on the experience of past years. To this end, it is envisaged to allocate additional subsidies and compensations from the budget, incentives for the import of equipment and technology used in viticulture, tax incentives, resources to banks to finance the planting of vineyards in the amount of $100 million, and to create new high-yielding, seedless, cold-resistant and disease-resistant grape varieties based on foreign experience.

Unfortunately, these measures can only lead to an aggravation of the surplus of grapes on the market and a further drop in prices. Uzbekistan does not need to increase the volume of grape production, but to renew plantations, laying down varieties that are more promising and demanded on the global market.

Table grapes became second after cherries in the fresh fruit segment in terms of the growth rate of export volume in physical terms in 2021. Uzbekistan exported 212.1 thousand tonnes worth $144.8 million from June to December 2021 (the season for the export of table grapes from Uzbekistan starts in the second half of June). Compared to the same period in 2020, the exports of grapes increased by 62% in physical terms and by 16% in exports earnings.

Unfortunately, such a large difference in the growth of physical volume and revenue is explained by the prices for exporting Uzbek table grapes being about 30% lower in 2021 than in 2020. If we take into account the sharp rise in the cost of logistics this year, it can be assumed that the income of winegrowers from such exports decreased even more significantly. And this is another proof that Uzbekistan should not increase the volume of grape production, but work on modernizing the entire industry: from replacing varieties to improving processing, cooling, packaging and logistics.

Сообщение Uzbekistan 2021: fruits, nuts, grapes – the analysis of prices, production and exports появились сначала на EastFruit.

This is the second part of the analytical material by the EastFruit team on the most important events in the produce market in 2021 that will influence further developments in the sector. You can read the first part of the material here.

6. Very expensive Ukrainian borsch – table beets, onions, carrots and cabbage

Never before have vegetables of a “borsch set” in been as expensive as in 2021. However, there were various reasons. It is better to break the analysis into seasons, as each was very different.

To detail all the events in the market for vegetables of the “borsch set” in 2021, we would have to write several huge analytical articles. So, we will summarize them and list the key factors that led to such high prices in the market.

The situation on the Russian market has become one of the key factors influencing the Ukrainian market. Ukraine cannot directly export food products to the Russian market, but it still affects the situation in Ukraine. The forecasts we made when discussing the crisis in Russian vegetable growing 2 years ago in the article “Crisis of vegetable farming in Russia” came true in 2021. Supply and demand in the Russian market led to such a sharp increase in table beet and carrot prices that they became the cause of memes on social networks.

Naturally, Russian importers and supermarkets tried to eliminate the shortage of products by all possible means, which led to price increases in all countries supplying vegetables to Russia. One of them was Belarus, that filled its own shortage of vegetables by imports from both the EU and Ukraine. This resulted into prices for these goods in Ukraine reaching very high levels.

This allowed both growers and resellers, who bought beets during the autumn harvest, to make very good money on their resale in spring. However, Ukrainian vegetable growers did not increase the area of beet plantations, but kept reducing it. Therefore, many market participants had an idea to hit the beet jackpot in the 2021/22 season. There is still a chance they can do it.

The developments on the cabbage market were similar. In the new season, Russia faced an acute shortage of cabbage, provoking its price increase in all countries of the region, including Ukraine. As a result, wholesale prices for cabbage in Ukraine in mid-December 2021 exceeded last year’s levels by 5-6 times and were a record for this month. Thus, the imports of cabbage from Poland started, but the exports to Belarus (and to Russia) did not stop either.

The only question is, what will be cabbage prices in Ukraine in spring, and where will Ukrainian importers buy cabbage? It is not excluded that cabbage will have to be imported from Uzbekistan in March, where its prices are also record high, but a new harvest is to start in March.

Speaking about Uzbekistan, we can move on to the most sold position of the “borsch set” – onions. Ukraine faced severe price swings here, too.

The year started with record low prices for onions in Ukraine. The export of onions was record-breaking, but it did not please vegetable growers, as it did not help to raise the price level. We advise you to study this analytical article, where the reasons for such price swings were explained in great detail.

One of the most resonant EastFruit news about the onion market in 2021 was the message that the first wholesale lots of Uzbek onions arrived at the wholesale markets of Ukraine, when the last onions were still being harvested in Ukraine. Onion prices are usually very low during this time, but this year the imports started early.

Moreover, Russia had nothing to do with the import of onions to Ukraine after the record exports. Fruit-Inform analysts explain this with several reasons. The first is the extremely low onion prices in recent seasons, which forced the least efficient vegetable growers to stop growing onions. Secondly, the weather was unfavorable during the harvesting of onions in 2021. Therefore, a lot of onions with high humidity were laid in storages, and there are very few modern onion drying and processing technologies in Ukraine. Consumers needed high-quality onions, the deficit of which was discovered in autumn.

Therefore, wholesale prices for onions in Ukraine were almost 3 times higher by the end of 2021 than in 2020 and almost 1.5 times higher than in 2019.

Among the reasons for the record high prices for vegetables of borsch set in Ukraine, experts noted a sharp rise in prices for grains in the past two seasons, which made their production almost as profitable for small farmers as growing vegetables. Nevertheless, the level of market and loss risks in the grain sector was much lower than in the vegetable sector. This has led to a reduction in vegetable acreage in favor of grain acreage in 2021.

7.  Upcoming changes in produce retail business

There were unusually many events in Ukrainian fruit and vegetable retail in 2021. Perhaps the main one was the rumor about the entry of the German retail chain Lidl into the Ukrainian market.

Despite the information not being official yet, EastFruit experts analyzed how this will affect the trade in fruits and vegetables in Ukraine, if the discounter opens its stores in Ukraine. We consider this quite likely to happen. Our analytics on the issue was widely discussed among owners and top managers of supermarket chains in Ukraine.

A great event of the year was another confirmation of the high objectivity of the audits of the produce departments by EastFruit – our audits again managed to foresee the fate of the whole retail business. As in the case of the purchase of the Ukrainian Billa chain by Novus, we expected the exit from the retail business of the Furshet chain through the purchase by Silpo. The possible purchase of the Ekomarket supermarket chain, constantly occupying very low positions in our audits, by the owners of the Silpo chain was reported at the end of the year.

Silpo firing the management team of the chain’s fruit and vegetable departments became top news in 2021. Obviously, the chain is striving to improve its position in the segment, especially if it is going to expand further by purchasing weaker competitors.

An extraordinary event was the first international fruit and vegetable retail forum by the EastFruit team, APK-Inform: vegetables and fruits and UHA. The results of a unique study of the retail trade in fruits and vegetables by FAO and EBRD experts was presented there. In addition, the best supermarket chains in the produce trade in 2021 were identified and awarded in various nominations.

The winner in the main nomination “Leader of fruit and vegetable retail in Ukraine” (in terms of assortment, product quality, convenience and quality of departments and price level) was the supermarket chain “Auchan”. It also became the leader in the “Assortment of Vegetables and Fruits” nomination. The winner of the “Freshness and quality of vegetables and fruits” category was Metro, and of the “Prices for vegetables and fruits” category – ATB. The ATB chain also became the absolute favorite among the suppliers of vegetables and fruits according to the results of their survey. According to consumers, LeSilpo was recognized as the best chain.

8. Land market opening in Ukraine

Although the limited opportunity to buy and sell land plots which opened up in the midyear is still one of the most discussed topics in the fruit and vegetable community, it had minor impact on the market.

But the long-term impact of this event on the market will be huge. First of all, many investors will focus on buying out land in the next few years, which will somewhat reduce the investments in growing vegetables and fruits.

On the other hand, most farmers will now be more confident in investing money in land and infrastructure, knowing that this land belongs to them.

However, investments in the purchase of agricultural land for growing vegetables and fruits in Ukraine will be relatively low in relation to those made for plantation and providing infrastructure.

For example, you need to invest about $100 000 in one hectare of an intensive apple orchard, including seedlings, irrigation, apple storage, protection from hail, sorting, etc. One hectare of land is now being sold at $1 000-2 000. This means that this is only 1-2% of investments in production.

9. Record prices for greenhouse cucumbers in Ukraine and imports from Russia

It seemed at the beginning of 2021 that the greenhouse industry of Ukraine was starting to recover and the export of greenhouse vegetables began to grow. However, the incredibly high level of gas prices in the second half of 2021 canceled all these achievements and put the Ukrainian greenhouse industry on the brink of survival. Similar was observed in many European countries.

The worst fears about the prices of greenhouse vegetables have not yet been fully justified. It is partly due to Turkey experiencing a collapse in the lira exchange rate, which spurred exports at highly competitive prices. Nevertheless, the prices did renew the records, and primarily, this concerned cucumber prices.

The last crop cycle of greenhouse cucumbers in Ukrainian farms was distinguished by record high prices, at least over the past 4 years. Many greenhouse plants have relied on growing tomatoes in the second half of 2021. As a result, the area planted with cucumbers in greenhouses was reduced. In addition, the weather was unfavorable during the growing season. The combination of the above factors led to an insufficient supply of cucumber on the Ukrainian market, and sellers often increased prices for the available volumes.

Thus, the news that Ukraine imported greenhouse cucumbers from Russia for the first time became a sensation. According to trade sources, Russian cucumbers proved to be competitive in price with the Ukrainian ones, despite the 10% import duty due to Ukraine’s withdrawal from the free trade agreement with Russia. By the way, Russia exported its greenhouse cucumbers even to Poland!

However, this did not last long, and soon problems with the supply of cucumbers occurred on the Russian market itself. Therefore, cucumber prices set new records in the second half of December in Russia and exceeded those in other countries of the region.

Russian cucumbers contributed to the stabilization of prices on the Ukrainian market, and they fell back to $1.30/kg. But when the supplies stopped, greenhouse cucumbers began to rise in price again and they were sold at no less than $1.70/kg in the second decade of December 2021 in Ukraine.

10. Failures in the cherry and watermelon markets

Watermelon was one of the main export positions of the Ukrainian produce sector in 2020, when the exports record was set. Ukraine set two new exports record in 2021: the export of watermelons was record low, as were their prices. We analyzed this in more detail in the article “Watermelon Collapse in Ukraine”. As a result, many producers failed to sell watermelon even at the lowest price, and had to leave the watermelon on fields, although the season began with early watermelon being sold at record high prices!

Will this lead to a decrease in the area of watermelon plantations for 2022 harvest? The question is rhetorical.

The situation on the Ukrainian cherry market was just the same. There were record low prices and an anti-record of exports in recent years, despite an unusually high harvest.

The domestic market in Ukraine was oversaturated with cheap cherries from the very beginning of the cherry sales season, but the purchasing activity remained rather low. And it reflected the consumer perception of the quality of Ukrainian cherries, because Ukraine updated the record for cherry imports in 2021, almost doubling it compared to 2020!

Ukrainian cherry growers blamed everyone for their problems: the lack of exports opportunities to Russia, the country’s population decline, and even the COVID-19 pandemic. However, all these arguments break down on the fact that the Ukrainians preferred imported cherries because, like consumers in other countries of the world, they want high-quality cherries. And if consumers’ requirements for the quality of cherries are constantly growing, Ukrainian growers also need to grow.

In this article, we explained why cherries in Ukraine are not that cheap and why access to the Russian market would not have saved Ukrainian farmers from low prices for cherries. Here we showed that the global market for cherries is growing faster than their production, and prices are constantly increasing, as well. In other words, there is a shortage of cherries in the world! To be more precise, there is a shortage of high-quality cherries in the world, and this is the problem in Ukraine!

Cherries in Ukraine are mainly grown without irrigation, not to mention protection from rain, hail and frost. By the way, here is an example of how some leading producers are already growing cherries in Uzbekistan. And here you can read about the most effective frost protection systems for cherries and other fruits. Besides, more and more cherry growers in different countries start growing in greenhouses.

Therefore, if the approaches to the production, cooling and processing of cherries are not radically changed, Ukraine will not only reduce exports, but will continue to increase imports of cherries.

If we missed some of the important trends, please let us know in the comments section.

Сообщение Ukraine: TOP-10 events in the Ukrainian produce business in 2021 (part II) появились сначала на EastFruit.

This is a continuation of the first part of the article on the main fruit and vegetables events in Uzbekistan.

6. Expensive berries and missed opportunities in the berry business

2021 was remembered for the high prices for strawberries and raspberries. Strawberries became available on wholesale markets in the 20th of April at an average price of 60,000 UZS/kg ($5.7), which is 3 times higher than last year. Wholesale prices dropped to 25,000 UZS/kg ($2.4) in two weeks, which was twice higher than on the same date in 2020. The strawberry season ended in the beginning of June, and wholesale prices had dropped only to 20,000 UZS/kg ($ 1.9) by that time, which is 30% higher than last year.

The first large batches of raspberries became available on the wholesale markets of Uzbekistan in early June, and the season ended in mid-November. Average wholesale prices fluctuated in the range of 21,000 – 55,000 UZS/kg ($2.0-5.2). Throughout the 2021 season, the gap in average wholesale prices from last year’s levels was quite large: they were 20-65% higher compared to 2020, and 2-3 times higher compared to 2019. However, the rise in prices was quite modest compared to the rise in prices for raspberries on the global market, where they are sold mainly frozen.

Due to such high prices, Uzbekistan began importing raspberries from Tajikistan in 2021 for the first time, raising raspberry prices there.

Despite high prices, in 2021, frozen raspberries were exported from Uzbekistan to the Russian market for the first time. In total, Uzbekistan exported 83 tonnes of frozen raspberries to Russia in August-September 2021.

EastFruit analysts have repeatedly noted Uzbekistan ignoring opportunities in the berry business, despite the excellent climate and available labor, the lack of which hinders the expansion of raspberry production in other countries. The situation in the country seems to be changing: the establishment of new raspberry plantations started in autumn 2021 in the Fergana region of Uzbekistan, the total area of ​​which will be 300 hectares. Thus, Uzbekistan joins the raspberry boom in many other countries.

Let’s hope that high prices for strawberries and raspberries will be a signal for Uzbek investors who ignore the most profitable and fastest growing segment of the global fruit and vegetable market.

7. New trends in the export of fruits and vegetables

EastFruit analysts note a very important and long-awaited trend in the international trade in fruit and vegetables in Uzbekistan – the volume of exports of frozen vegetables and fruits more than doubled in 2021 compared to 2020. Moreover, there was a shift towards a higher price product category in the structure of frozen fruit export.

According to preliminary data, Uzbekistan exported 12.1 thousand tonnes of frozen vegetables worth $9.3 million in 2021, which is 2 times more in volume and 2.3 times more in terms of exports earnings compared to 2020. As for frozen fruits, the export volume of this category amounted to 5.8 thousand tonnes worth $7.6 million, which is 2.1 times more in physical terms and 2.5 times more in terms of export earnings compared to 2020. EastFruit wrote about the structure of exports of frozen vegetables and fruits from Uzbekistan at the end of October 2021.

Uzbekistan also significantly increased its peanut exports in 2021. In volume, the exports exceeded the level of 2020 by 67% and was twice higher than in 2019. According to preliminary data, Uzbekistan exported 21.7 thousand tonnes of peanuts worth $23 million in 2021. Peanut exports from Uzbekistan to China increased the most. There were no peanut supplies to the Chinese market until 2020. However, 400 tonnes were delivered in 2020, and in 2021 Uzbekistan increased its peanut exports to China 5.5 times compared to 2020! The growth potential of supply of peanuts to China is indeed high. For more information on the structure of peanut exports by major importing countries, read the EastFruit material dated December 17, 2021.

Uzbek farmers have been actively expanding the area of pomegranate plantations in recent years. Based on plans to establish new plantations and taking into account existing ones EastFruit experts expect the annual production of pomegranate in the republic to reach at least 600 thousand tonnes in the next 5-10 years. It is obvious that the domestic market will not be able to consume such a large volume of pomegranate, and the stake is made on increasing the exports.

As statistics show, there have already been noticeable successes in increasing the exports of Uzbek pomegranate – for the second year in a row, the export volume of new harvest pomegranates has been growing. The exports season for pomegranates from Uzbekistan starts in August (the harvest of early varieties starts at the end of July) and ends in February-March next year. Thus, Uzbekistan has made it through the most of the 2021/2022 season. According to preliminary data, it exported 14.7 thousand tonnes of pomegranate worth $10.9 million from August to December 2021, which is 32% more in kind compared to the same period in 2020 and 50% more than in August-December 2019.

At the end of March 2021, EastFruit analysts presented a detailed analysis of a new strategic priority in the country’s fruit sector – increasing pomegranate production. The article was much cited by the media in China, as it is the largest importer of pomegranate in the world. Together with Hong Kong, China imports more than $1 billion of pomegranates a year.

8. Growth in banana consumption in Uzbekistan

In 11 months of 2021, Uzbekistan imported 2.2 times more bananas compared to the same period in 2020. Moreover, the import volume during the reviewed period was almost twice higher than the total import volume in 2020 and 64% higher than that in 2019.

EastFruit analysts identify three reasons for the continuation of the growing trend and such a solid increase in banana consumption in Uzbekistan in 2021:

First, the influence of rumors that discredited bananas during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, probably faded away in 2021. The second reason is the relatively high prices for fruits and vegetables in Uzbekistan, particularly for stone fruits, due to weather anomalies in 2021. Bananas were relatively cheap in 2021 compared to apricots, cherries in the first half of the season, apples of early and mid-season varieties, and pears. Third reason is the expansion of supermarket chains that have a crucial impact on the banana trade in the country. Banana is a very convenient product for supermarkets, as they can import it directly all year round and sell it cheaper than in the markets due to the large volume and VAT refunds. Therefore, banana is the best-selling fruit in supermarkets of Uzbekistan. And as the number of supermarket chain stores in the country grows, the consumption of bananas will grow.

Let’s remind that Uzbekistan was earlier included in the list of countries with ultra-low consumption of bananas. By the end of 2019, residents of Uzbekistan consumed only 700 grams, or about five bananas per year per person. The analysis of banana consumption by countries of the world and our region in particular is available here. It seems that despite a sharp increase in the consumption of bananas in Uzbekistan, its position in this global ranking will not change much by the end of 2021.

9. Large-scale concessional financing, subsidies and a new system for the development of the produce sector

EastFruit regularly covered new initiatives of the government of Uzbekistan to stimulate fruit and vegetable producers, support the industry with subsidies, concessional financing and the introduction of new mechanisms in 2021. Below we list the main initiatives of 2021 that are important in the development of the produce sector of the economy.

In early June 2021, EastFruit wrote about the creation of modern greenhouses based on public-private partnerships. Housing and greenhouse complexes will be built in Uzbekistan on low-yielding lands so that people willing to engage in greenhouse farming, could live and work close. Each housing and greenhouse complex will be of ​​at least 20 acres. Within the framework of the partnership, the state will allocate land for the complexes, install utility systems (gas, water, electricity, internal roads) to housing and greenhouse complexes and provide benefits.

It was announced at the end of August that the state would allocate a total of $100 million for targeted financing of projects to create modern greenhouses. However, as there are still issues with country’s greenhouse industry access to gas, it is forced to pollute the environment, damaging the health of people. Therefore, solutions to these very pressing problems for the industry are needed.

At the end of October 2021, EastFruit wrote about specific measures of state support and incentives for fruit and vegetable producers, the implementation of which is envisaged at the beginning of 2022. They include concessional financing, insurance of vegetable and fruit harvest against weather risks, subsidies for the modernization of agricultural machinery, incentives for the imports of equipment, their components, as well as benefits for the planting of new disease-resistant crop varieties and the introduction of water-saving technologies. In mid-November 2021, it was reported that Uzbekistan would allocate almost $400 million to support the fruit and vegetable industry in 2022.

On November 24, 2021, the introduction of a new development system for the produce industry in Uzbekistan was announced. It will be based on strengthening the role of clusters, introducing new cooperation mechanisms, financing fruit and vegetable producers and expanding the provision of agricultural services. In particular, 200 thousand hectares of low-profitable sown areas freed from cotton and grain will be returned to the reserve in 2022–2025. Of these, it is planned to allocate 80 thousand hectares for the production of fruits and vegetables in 2022. Read more about this in the materials of EastFruit dated November 30 and December 18, 2021.

We note that most of these decisions are aimed at increasing production volumes. And this is a direct way to reduce the income of producers, if you do not take care of sales. Therefore, solutions are required to such problems as modernizing and improving the varietal composition of fruits grown in the country, improving the storage infrastructure, processing and packaging, and increasing the efficiency of its marketing. We have repeatedly drawn attention to the alarming trend of a decreasing export of vegetables and fruits from Uzbekistan for two years in a row despite the continuing growth in acreage.

10. New players in the retail market

2021 will be remembered for the active expansion of foreign supermarket chains into the Uzbek market. Two foreign retailers came to Uzbekistan – the largest retail chain in Kazakhstan Magnum Cash&Carry and the Russian discounter chain Dobrozen. The first stores of both retailers in Uzbekistan were opened in the last month of 2021.

Magnum in Uzbekistan

The Kazakh chain Magnum Cash&Carry has been getting ready to enter the Uzbek market for about two years, studying its similarity with the Kazakh market and local peculiarities. Finally, the first Magnum hypermarket in Uzbekistan was opened in the renovated Integro shopping center in Tashkent on December 11, 2021. 20 thousand products, from food, household chemicals to non-food products, of leading producers from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and other countries were presented on an area of ​​5000 sq. m. Magnum pays special attention to fresh vegetables and fruits. They include vegetables and fruits even from Brazil, Italy, China, Colombia, USA, Turkey, and, of course, local ones.

The second Magnum store was opened in Uzbekistan in a different district of the same city just a week later, on December 18, 2021. The Kazakh retailer plans to invest about $20 million in the first year of development in Uzbekistan and open two more hypermarkets and several supermarkets in 2022.

Magnum Cash&Carry is the largest retail chain in Kazakhstan. The first store was opened in 2007 in Almaty. The company planned to increase the number of stores to 197 in 11 cities of Kazakhstan by the end of 2021. The total retail area of ​​the chain is 220 thousand sq. m. This indicator is growing by 30% average every year. The chain operates in four formats – express, daily, supermarket and hypermarket, with an assortment of 35-40 thousand SKU, depending on the seasonality.

“Dobrocen” – 4 stores in one month

The first store of the Russian retail chain “Dobrocen” in Uzbekistan opened in Bukhara on December 18, 2021, where more than 1,500 positions of food products, household chemicals and non-food products were presented. The Dobrocen chain opened three more stores in Uzbekistan – in Tashkent, Karshi and Margilan on December 25, 2021. Thus, there are 4 Dobrocen stores in Uzbekistan now.

As of August 2021, the Russian retail chain Dobrocen had 400 stores. It is present only in two countries abroad, except for Uzbekistan: it opened its first store in Belarus in 2019, and in Kazakhstan at the end of April 2021.

The peculiarity of the Dobrocen retail chain is its format of a store-warehouse without division into a sales area and storage, with goods being displayed not on shelves, but on pallets. The assortment includes about 1200 items of the most popular high-quality food products and everyday household goods at the lowest prices.

Bonus – free profitable investment niches of the fruit and vegetable business in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan stays away from the global trends in the fruit and vegetable business, focusing on traditional cultures and varieties. It is convenient, but while other countries earn good money and reinvest it in the development of the produce sector in their countries, Uzbekistan loses these opportunities. By the way, it is crucial for Uzbekistan to rely on trendy and expensive goods, because the country is located far from the main sales markets and has no access to the sea. Therefore, transportation of goods is more expensive for Uzbekistan than for its competitors.

We will provide you with our rating of profitable niches that Uzbekistan missed, despite the possibility to take advantage of them.

Blueberries are the most expensive and trendy berry imported by Uzbekistan in large volumes, that could bring hundreds of millions of dollars in export earnings to the country. For example, Peru earns $1 billion a year from blueberry exports. Read more about this here.

Nuts: pistachio, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts – Uzbekistan has favorable conditions for the cultivation of most nuts, but does not use them. For example, the USA, where nut production is concentrated in a similar climate region of California, exports nuts worth approximately $9 billion annually! Considering that the domestic walnut market in the United States is also huge, one can imagine how much Uzbekistan could potentially earn on nuts. By the way, Uzbekistan has no problems with finding workers, unlike the United States! There is a playlist “Nuts” on our YouTube channel with many videos on how different nuts are grown, harvested and processed in the USA and Georgia, as well as presentations by the world’s leading experts in nut production.

Berries: Uzbekistan can export traditional berries such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and others almost all year round, thanks to the efficient use of climatic zones and greenhouse technologies. Berries are at the peak of healthy eating trends, and there are more and more of them. The berry freezing segment is also growing at a tremendous rate. Spain earns $1.5 billion a year on the exports of berries and Poland – about $700 million (about the same as Uzbekistan on the exports of all vegetables and fruits combined). Uzbekistan with a wonderful climate and cheap labor earns almost nothing. Even in Tajikistan, the segment is developing faster and more successfully. Therefore, there are many possibilities here too.

Kiwi is one of the most profitable crops for farmers in the countries growing it. For example, many farmers remove and replace them with kiwi plantations in Italy. Global trade in kiwi is growing at a high rate. Of the countries in the region, Georgia is the most successful in developing this sector, even exporting its kiwi to Japan – the most expensive and demanding market in the world! Kiwi production in Uzbekistan is also growing, but there are almost no industrial plantations. We wrote about the peculiarities of growing kiwi in Uzbekistan from the experience of an amateur farmer in this article.

Avocados are the fastest growing segment of the horticultural trade in the world. According to preliminary estimates, avocados can be grown quite successfully in Uzbekistan. Mexico receives about $3 billion dollars a year in revenue from avocado exports. The first commercial avocado plantation has already been established in Georgia. The analysis of the regional avocado market is available here.

Asparagus is also trendy in terms of healthy eating. The demand for it is growing rapidly all over the world, including Russia. Uzbekistan could take advantage of this given its climate. We wrote more about the possibilities of Uzbekistan in growing asparagus in this article.

In fact, there are many niches even in the sectors of the fruit and vegetable business traditional for Uzbekistan. For example, high-quality large-fruited cherries, properly cooled, packaged and delivered to China, can provide 10 times higher revenue than cherries grown in the traditional way and exported to the Russian market. By the way, you can compare these approaches in our two videos: “Traditional cherries of Uzbekistan” and “Ultra-modern technologies of cherries in Uzbekistan“.

Similar analogies can be drawn in other segments as well. However, we hope that Uzbekistan will start focusing on trendy and expensive products, as well as their high quality, in order to ensure the growth of exports earnings and welfare for everyone involved in this industry.

If we missed some of the important trends, please let us know in the comments section.

Сообщение Uzbekistan: TOP-10 Main Fruit and Vegetable Events of 2021 (Part II) появились сначала на EastFruit.

Exports of cherries from Chile in the 2021/22 season are expected to grow by 2.6% compared to last year and amount to 361,840 tonnes. 95% of the export of Chilean cherries goes to Asian countries. Diversification of the export geography is one of the pillars of the industry development. In 2021, Russia became a new market, where the Chilean Cherry Committee launched a marketing support program.

As part of the campaign launch, a webinar “Imports of cherries from Chile to Russia. Questions and answers” was held. The speaker of the event was Sharif Christian Carvajal, Marketing Director for Europe, Asia and the Middle East of ASOEX (Chilean Association of Fruit Exporters). Carvajal spoke about the forecasts for the current cherry harvest in Chile, the work of the Chilean Cherry Committee and experience in international promotion.

“Before we started promoting Chilean cherries in Russia, we carefully studied the Russian fruit market. We see opportunities to increase sales of Chilean cherries through wholesale distribution channels, as well as premium retail and HoReCa,” the speaker emphasized.

Importers asked practical questions about the supply of goods to Russia during the event. The webinar recording is available here. A list of suppliers of Chilean cherries can be found at comitedecerezas.cl.

The details of the campaign in Russia were highlighted by the program coordinator – Ksenia Gorovaya. “Negotiations are underway with the largest suppliers of cherries to Russia, and promotions are planned in chain retail stores for Valentine’s Day. During the season we also plan an advertising campaign in specialized media and on FoodCity, collaboration in social networks with popular bloggers from Moscow and St. Petersburg”.

According to a sociological study by the RANEPA, the number of Russians having a healthy lifestyle has tripled over the past decade – from 5% in 2010 to 15% in 2021. More and more people are thinking about healthy nutrition and minimizing sugar in their diet. Delicious and healthy cherries are a great holiday gift instead of traditional sweets, especially in winter.

Сообщение Imports of cherries from Chile to Russia – market prospects появились сначала на EastFruit.

EastFruit analysts repeatedly drew attention to the difficult situation in the cherry market in 2021, when prices for local products fell to record lows, but there was still no demand for them. Growers from Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia region, were forced to discard some of their cherries because they could not sell them at any price.

The most surprising thing is that Ukraine imported a record volume of cherries in 2021, when the surplus of local cherries on the market was maximum, and the price, on the contrary, was minimal. The volume of fresh cherry imports to Ukraine reached 2 thousand tonnes – 83% more than in 2020.

Cherry exports from Ukraine also dropped sharply, despite low prices in Ukraine, and high prices for cherries in the EU markets. Ukrainian exporters managed to export only 466 tonnes of cherries during the season. This is a record low export volume of cherries from Ukraine in many years.

“Requirements of consumers, including Ukrainian ones regarding  the quality of cherries are constantly growing. They are interested in more modern large-caliber varieties. At the same time, technologies for growing cherries in Ukraine remained mainly traditional and outdated for the modern market. A couple of years ago it was possible to find buyers for such cherries in Ukraine and in Belarus, but both in our market and in the markets of Belarus and Russia, many imported cherries of higher quality are available for which Ukrainian consumers are ready to pay more”, – explains Andriy Yarmak, economist at the Investment Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

“A similar situation has developed in Uzbekistan that became the main supplier of cherries to the Ukrainian market this year for the first time. The production of cherries is growing there, but their exports to countries with high prices and high demands remain insignificant. Therefore, Uzbek farmers have to reduce the prices in order to sell their cherries, although global prices for high-quality cherries continue to grow,” the FAO expert says.

Read also: Uzbekistan has increased its export of cherries to South Korea in 2021

Uzbekistan exported 745 tonnes of cherries to Ukraine in 2021, which is 12 times more than last year. Moldova more than doubled the supply of fresh cherries to Ukraine, exporting 431 tonnes in 2021. Greece exported almost the same volume of cherries to Ukraine as Moldova did, and the volume of its exports did not change over the year, as prices in the EU were higher. The export of cherries to Ukraine and Iran continues to increase, but so far less than 100 tonnes of fresh cherries have been delivered from Greece during the season.

On December 3, 2021, Andriy Yarmak will talk about changes in strategies and approaches to the fruit business that Ukrainian farmers urgently need, as well as global innovations in fruit technologies and marketing that will change the fruit and vegetable business, during the 17th international conference  “Vegetables and fruits of Ukraine-2021. New investment opportunities”. On December 2, two more unique events will also be held there: the Retail Forum and Trade Forum. You will have an opportunity to conclude contracts for the supply of products with supermarket chains, and receive exclusive information on the trade volume of vegetables and fruits in supermarket chains in Ukraine. You will also get acquainted with the ratings of retail chains from the point of view of suppliers. Register to participate via this link not to miss the event.

Сообщение Ukraine imported a record volume of cherries and sharply reduced exports in 2021 появились сначала на EastFruit.

According to EastFruit analysts, Uzbekistan increased its exports of fresh cherries to South Korea by 65% in 2021. However, the volume remained relatively low – Uzbek exporters collected only 206 tonnes of cherries meeting the requirements of fruit importers from South Korea throughout the season. This is half the record volume of supplies recorded in 2017, when Uzbekistan exported more than 400 tonnes of cherries to South Korea.

For comparison: the United States exported about 12 thousand tonnes of cherries to the South Korean market, despite Uzbek cherries being very cheap, and on the contrary, American ones were quite expensive this year. At the same time, the seasons of harvesting and selling cherries in Uzbekistan and the United States overlap. Uzbek cherries, even taking into account delivery to South Korea, were sold in 2021 on average twice as cheap as cherries from the United States.

Read also: In 2021 Uzbekistan increases exports of table grapes by 58%

By the way, Uzbekistan exported 24.5 thousand tonnes of cherries to Russia in 2021, 3-4 times per kilogram cheaper than when exporting cherries to South Korea. Obviously, the problem is the shortage of large-sized cherries and the necessary quality parameters in Uzbekistan.

Detailed information on how to create a superintensive orchard of large cherries with the possibility of exporting at the highest price to China and South Korea is available in this material. You can also watch a video of the presentation of the representative of the Holland Rosetta company Valery Lyashinsky on the issue there. EastFruit has also made two interesting videos comparing the intensive orchards with hydro-curing and modern sorting and packaging of cherries and traditional but outdated technologies for growing, harvesting, sorting and marketing cherries in Uzbekistan.

It is obvious now that the global market needs large-sized cherries grown with the most modern technologies – their production allows to earn more. The demand for traditional cherries is falling, and they can only be sold at sharply reduced prices, as it happened in 2021.

Сообщение Uzbekistan increases exports of cherries to South Korea in 2021 появились сначала на EastFruit.

According to EastFruit analysts, in 2021 Uzbekistan once again reduced fruit exports to China – one of the most attractive fruit markets in the world. In the first eight months of 2021, fruit exports in volume fell by 16% compared to the same period in 2020 and three times compared to 2019. Thus, the negative trend in the supply of fruit to the Chinese market continues.

The decline in exports of Uzbek cherries was especially noticeable, despite the very low price level. In 2021, Uzbekistan managed to find and deliver to China only 14 tons of cherries that met the requirements of demanding Chinese importers. Uzbekistan exported 105 tons of cherries in 2020, in 2019 – just over 600 tons, and in 2018 – 148 tons, that is, since gaining access to the Chinese cherry market, Uzbekistan has never exported so little cherries to China.

It is China that is the fastest growing market for cherries in the world. The exports of cherries is growing fast, and their prices remain very high. Moreover, it is China that pays one of the highest prices for cherries. However, Uzbekistan was forced to supply cherries in 2021 mainly to Russia and much cheaper than in 2020, since their quality did not meet the requirements of buyers from other countries. Uzbekistan had more and more competitors in the Russian market who offered a better product. We gave a detailed analysis of the reasons for low prices for cherries in Uzbekistan in this article.

You can see and read how cherries of export grade quality are grown, refined and packaged in Uzbekistan here. You can read and listen in detail how much it will cost to set up such a farm and how to do it right.

Let’s get back to the fruit trade between Uzbekistan and China. An anti-record has also been set over the past seven years even for the most popular position, namely the exports of Uzbek raisins (dried grapes) to China! It fell by 17% compared to 2020 and three times compared to 2019, when the export volume was at its maximum. The only export position where Uzbek exports to China increased was dried apricot. The export of dried apricot grew by 37% compared to 2020, but its share in export was small – only about 5%, so it did not impact the overall negative dynamics largely.

“The global markets for both fresh and dried fruit are becoming more competitive as production in developing countries grows. This is facilitated by a freer access to information about cultivation and processing technologies, which allows faster implementation of these methods in production. The FAO and EBRD also strive to foster the transfer of technology and market knowledge, in particular through the EastFruit platform. However, since there is no shortage of fruit in the world, for success in the market it is essential to ensure high quality and safety of the grown fruits in the sense buyers, and not producers themselves, perceives it. Too little attention is paid to fruit quality, refinement and marketing in the post-Soviet countries, which leads to the need to sell or send products for processing at the lowest prices,” explains Andriy Yarmak, economist at the Investment Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

By the way, while Uzbekistan was reducing the export of fruits to China, Iran was actively increasing it. In the first 8 months of 2021, the export of Iranian fruits and nuts to China increased by 75%!

Сообщение Uzbekistan sharply reduced fruit exports to China again появились сначала на EastFruit.

According to EastFruit analysts, Uzbekistan exported record volumes of cherries and watermelons to the Belarusian market in 2021.

The volume of supplies of Uzbek cherries to Belarus in the 2021 export season increased 7.5 times compared to 2020 and reached 633 tons. The export of watermelon reached almost 1,000 tons and grew even more – 9 times in a year! The export volumes of both cherries and watermelons from Uzbekistan to Belarus were record high.

Earlier, Uzbekistan focused more on exports to Russia, and Belarus bought cherries from Turkey, Greece, Ukraine and other countries closer than Uzbekistan. Belarus usually bought early watermelons from Kazakhstan and Turkey. This year, the same countries also supplied large volumes of early watermelons to Belarus. Obviously, the total volume of their consumption increased, because exports of watermelon from Uzbekistan and even from Spain and Georgia increased.

It is very important for Uzbekistan to diversify the markets for cherries, because prices for Uzbek cherries literally collapsed at the end of the season. This is due to the fact that the traditional technology of growing and processing cherries is not effective and reduces the export opportunities for this trendy fruit. Modern technologies that allow to ha harvest large export-quality cherries are still rare.

However, the export volume of both cherries and watermelons to Belarus are not large for Uzbekistan, when compared to the volumes supplied to Russia. Nevertheless, market diversification is a positive trend.

Сообщение Uzbekistan exported record volumes of cherries and watermelons to Belarus in 2021 появились сначала на EastFruit.

According to EastFruit analysts, in the first half of 2021, Uzbekistan worsened its position in the Russian fruit market. For six months of 2021, the country fell back in the 14th position in the ranking of the largest fruit suppliers to the Russian Federation, reducing supplies by 10% in volume and 3% in value.

The main reason for the decline in positions was climate change, which affected Uzbekistan in 2021. A sharp warming in February 2021 triggered the awakening of fruit trees too early, followed by two waves of frost . As a result of frost damage, the harvest of Uzbek apricot suffered the most, and its exports to Russia decreased by almost seven times. Exports of peach and nectarine decreased by 41% (as of the end of June), exports of raisins by 16%, exports of lemon by 28% and exports of plums almost halved. We also note a decrease in exports of fresh apples by 44%, table grapes by 68%, walnuts by 66% and melons by nine times.

At the same time, Uzbekistan was able to increase the exports of watermelon and cherry. Export of cherry to Russia increased 2.6 times in physical terms, and exports of watermelon – 4.2 times! But Uzbekistan had to reduce prices for both cherry and watermelon for exports to Russia, therefore, the total revenue from exports did not increase as much as the volume of exports. In particular, the export price for the Uzbek watermelon dropped by 62% at once compared to 2020.

In general, in the first half of 2021, Russia increased fruit imports by 3.2%. Ecuador remained the leader in deliveries. Turkey, Egypt and South Africa improved their positions – each of these countries increased their exports by 10-17%. Serbia remained in the fifth place with stable export volumes. Moldova fell back in the eight place after a reduction by 23% in fruit exports to Russia.

Сообщение Uzbekistan is losing its position on the Russian fruit market появились сначала на EastFruit.