The Ukrainian cabbage market is experiencing another significant price drop — the vegetable is being offered at an average of 85% cheaper than in December of last year.
This is reported by Finway
Reasons for the Price Decline of Cabbage
During the current week, owners of unprepared storage facilities have been actively selling off cabbage, as the warm winter has caused a rapid deterioration in its quality. Producers were willing to lower the price of such products to 1.5 UAH per kilogram (about $0.04/kg). In contrast, for quality cabbage, farmers were asking for at least 2–8 UAH per kilogram ($0.05–0.19/kg), which is on average 23% less than at the end of last week.
Market experts note that the demand for purchasing cabbage is currently decreasing due to an excess of product in the market. This situation worries farmers, and some of them decide not to rush into selling, hoping for price improvements in the future.
“Currently, cabbage is being offered at an average of 85% cheaper than a year ago, which is linked to the overall increase in vegetable production.”
Impact of Weather Conditions and Supermarket Supply
This season, many agricultural enterprises have increased the area under cabbage cultivation, leading to an excess harvest. However, weather conditions have negatively affected the quality of the vegetables — as a result, cabbage quickly loses its marketable appearance and is not suitable for long-term storage. Consequently, farmers are forced to sell large volumes of substandard products at reduced prices.
In the largest retail chains in Ukraine, cabbage prices also remain low. In ATB supermarkets, the vegetable currently costs 7.95 UAH per kilogram, in Varus — 7.90 UAH per kilogram, while in Silpo, the price starts at 14 UAH per kilogram.