Strawberry cultivation in Ukraine has stabilized compared to the 2022-2023 period, with a significant portion of the produce being actively exported. At the start of the season, Ukrainian greenhouse strawberries were more prevalent in the market than imported ones. This summary is provided by Maksym Hopka, an analyst at the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club.
"The first strawberries to hit the market came from Western Ukraine, where a significant share of greenhouse farms is located," he explains. "Then came strawberries grown in the open fields of the South, followed by those from Central Ukraine."
According to the expert, the overall situation for strawberry cultivation is stabilizing compared to the past two years. Over the last three to four years, strawberry exports have been very active, and Maksym Hopka expects this year's volumes to remain stable.
However, spring weather conditions have impacted the strawberry harvest. "For early varieties like Rumba and Honey, we received about 30-40% less yield than usual," says Vitaliy Ishmurat, founder of the company Yagody Volyni. "For alpine strawberries, the decrease is around 20%. But for later varieties, such as Florence, the situation is expected to be better."
Source: agrotimes.ua