Russia: Apple prices down

Apple prices on the Russian market have decreased in the first half of the 2012/13 season, as a result of the country’s accession to the WTO and a record-high domestic production. By the end of December 2012, the average wholesale prices in Moscow were 20% lower (year-on-year). In other regions, prices dropped noticeably as well. In the Voronezh region, for example, prices fell by a third. Market participants expect an increase in apple prices however, thanks to higher demand in the past two weeks.

Russia imported approximately 10,200 tons of Chinese pears from July to November 2012, a number almost 10% higher than last year. Experts from Fruit-Inform link an increase in Chinese exports to Russia to a higher pear production in China this season. The highest import volumes were recorded in November (2,800 tons) and the lowest in July (approximately 1,200 tons). China's share in total Russian pear imports ranged between 5-7% over the past three seasons. Currently, China is the sixth largest exporter of pears into the Russian Federation. Only Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Lithuania and Argentina export more.

Source: Fruit-Inform