After a significant drop in temperature that affected most regions of Ukraine, there is a sharp shortage of cucumbers in the vegetable market. This has led to a record price increase: over the past week, the price of cucumbers has jumped by 66%, currently ranging from 65 to 80 UAH per kilogram.
This is reported by Finway
Harvest Issues and Lack of Imports
Experts note that the drop in temperature has significantly impacted the harvests in greenhouse farms, resulting in a drastic reduction in the supply of cucumbers in the Ukrainian market. According to daily monitoring results, cucumber harvesting volumes in local greenhouses have decreased by approximately five times over the week.
The situation is also influenced by the lack of import competition, as supplies from abroad have practically ceased. Increased demand from domestic wholesalers and retail chains only exacerbates the shortage.
“Due to the limited supply, most farms are not even forming large batches and are selling their products in small volumes,” analysts noted.
Prospects for Price Stabilization
Due to the vegetable shortage, producers are forced to sell cucumbers mainly in small wholesale quantities. Experts predict that the market shortage may encourage importers to resume supplies in the coming days. In this case, the price of local greenhouse products may stabilize or even decrease under the pressure of cheaper imports.
Analysts point out that imported products traditionally have a lower cost price, so the activation of supplies from abroad could halt further price increases for Ukrainian cucumbers.
As of now, the average price of cucumbers in Ukraine is 27% higher than during the same period last year.