The price of apples in Ukrainian markets reached record levels in July 2025, in some cases exceeding the prices of imported oranges. According to Taras Bashtanyk, president of the Ukrainian Fruit and Vegetable Association, this price increase is linked to global harvest problems and a severe shortage of modern storage facilities for fruits in Ukraine.
This is reported by Finway
Main Reasons for the Record Price Increase
One of the key factors influencing the price formation was the harvest issues with oranges in Brazil. Due to the spread of diseases, production volumes have significantly decreased, leading to an increase in the price of orange concentrate, which in turn affected the price of apple concentrate, often used as a substitute for orange in the food industry. As Bashtanyk explains, this automatically impacted the price of apples as a raw material.
“The reasons lie in Brazil. A smaller orange harvest means a more expensive concentrate. Consequently, the price of apples as a raw material automatically increases,” Bashtanyk explained.
At the same time, a weak apple harvest is observed not only in Ukraine but also in many European countries and even in the Russian Federation. This has led to a global apple shortage and record purchasing prices for processing enterprises. Last season in Ukraine, the price per kilogram of apples reached 17 hryvnias, marking a historical high for the market.
Impact of Storage Shortages and Apple Imports
Another significant issue is the lack of modern infrastructure for storing the harvest. This has been particularly felt after the loss of southern regions, where the country’s main refrigeration complexes were concentrated. According to an expert, Ukrainian farmers have managed to achieve high-quality apples, but without proper storage, most of the harvest does not last until spring.
As spring arrives, the availability of local apples in the market decreases, forcing Ukraine to import fruits from Poland, Italy, and other countries. In Poland itself, apple prices have also risen due to the same reasons – poor harvest, increased concentrate prices, and high demand. Additionally, costs are influenced by logistics, customs duties, and intermediary markups, ultimately leading to high final prices for the Ukrainian consumer.
Experts predict that from September, a slight decrease in prices is expected due to the arrival of the new harvest. However, a return to the prices of 2022 is not anticipated. Taras Bashtanyk warns that due to limited storage capacities, a new apple shortage may occur in the second half of the year, which will again lead to price increases.