Ukrainian supermarkets and markets have entered the season for garden strawberries, commonly referred to as strawberries. However, shoppers are facing a paradoxical situation: prices for the berries have dropped noticeably, but finding a truly high-quality product is becoming increasingly difficult. Market experts attribute this to weather conditions and market oversupply.

Seasonal price drop

According to analysts from the EastFruit project, by mid-June the market is experiencing an active phase of price reduction. If wholesale prices last week ranged from 100 to 190 hryvnias per kilogram, this week they have dropped to 80–170 hryvnias. This decline represents an average drop of 15% compared to last week's figures.

The main driver of the price decrease has been warm, sunny weather, which stimulated the rapid ripening of the harvest in local farms. As a result, market supply has surged, while demand has remained relatively stable. Producers are forced to lower prices to sell their bulk produce.

Quality issue: consequences of rain

Despite the affordable prices, experts warn of risks when purchasing. Most market operators note a high percentage of substandard berries this season. The cause is heavy rainfall earlier, which significantly reduced the quality characteristics of the fruit.

Consequently, consumers must inspect goods more carefully to avoid buying overripe or damaged products. Analysts predict that key market players may continue to lower prices starting next week, although this does not guarantee an improvement in quality.

Retail prices in chains

Price variations on supermarket shelves are also noticeable, though less dramatic than in the wholesale market. As of now, the situation looks like this:

  • In the VARUS supermarket chain, Ukrainian strawberries are the cheapest at 179.90 hryvnias per kilogram.
  • In the Silpo food chain, the cost of farm-grown berries is 229 hryvnias per kilogram.
  • In Auchan Ukraine, the price for loose strawberries reaches 239 hryvnias per kilogram.

Thus, retail prices depend on the specific chain and sales format. On average, prices for garden strawberries in Ukraine are currently 11% lower than during the same period last year.