On the EastFruit Trade Platform, potatoes emerged as a dominant commodity, overtaking white cabbage, with active trading across seven nations. This included significant contributions from Ukraine and Egypt, as well as last season's supply from the Netherlands and Belgium. Tomato supplies surpassed those of cucumber, signaling a shift in the market dynamics.
Apricots led the fruit and berry sector, heavily influenced by Uzbekistan's output alongside new offers from Kazakhstan and Armenia. Egypt stepped into the market with the season's first lemon offers. The apple supply, buoyed by early arrivals in Central Asia, more than doubled, while peaches held the second position in fruit rankings. Ukraine saw a steep decline in new-season cabbage prices, while last year's potato stocks saw a price increase. In Uzbekistan, apricot and early apple prices fell. Demand was driven by a scarcity of cherries and strawberries, resulting in a surge in buyer interest.
During Week 23, there was an uptick in listings and diversity among participants, including new entries from Lithuania, Macedonia, and Armenia. Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Egypt increased their activity, while Turkey saw a fourfold surge in listings despite a reduction from Iran. A total of 14 countries submitted offers, with Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Turkey, and Iran leading in volume. Particularly, Egypt dominated with potato offers, facilitated by a tariff exemption for potatoes into Kazakhstan by the Eurasian Economic Commission. Onion and beetroot volumes rose, whereas carrot listings decreased. Although tomatoes surpassed cucumbers in supply, sales of bell peppers, Chinese cabbage, and cauliflower were stable. In the fruit sector, apricots were led by Uzbekistan's output, as Kazakhstan and Armenia joined as new suppliers.
In Ukraine, a variety of price movements were recorded: new-season cabbage continued to drop in price, early beetroots went down, and both new-season onions and last year's potatoes saw increases. Tomato and cucumber prices fell, yet bell peppers showed a rise. In Uzbekistan, reductions were observed in young onion and new-season carrot prices, but old carrot prices rose owing to their use in traditional dishes. Apricot and early apple prices continued to fall. Egypt's export prices remained steady, poised for a robust sweet potato season bound for the UK.
Source: EastFruit