Tomato Prices in Ukraine Surge Due to Unfavorable Weather
The cost of tomatoes in the Ukrainian market has significantly increased over the past week. While just recently a kilogram cost between 60 and 80 hryvnias, now the price in some places reaches 100–120 hryvnias. The main reason for this spike has been the weather calamities that negatively impacted the harvest of greenhouse farms, while demand remained stable.
This is reported by AgroReview
Impact of Unfavorable Weather on Greenhouse Farms
The rise in tomato prices is primarily linked to drastic changes in weather conditions in November. Frosts and temperature fluctuations have affected the greenhouses, causing plants to be unable to produce harvests in the usual volumes. This leads to a shortage of products in the market.
Growing tomatoes in greenhouses is always associated with risks: even one night of sub-zero temperatures can partially destroy the harvest or slow down the ripening of vegetables. To minimize losses, farmers are forced to use additional heating for the greenhouses, which also affects the final price of the products for consumers.
Market Situation and Expert Predictions
In retail, the situation remains ambiguous: in some supermarkets, prices are still at 90 hryvnias per kilogram, while in others they have already exceeded 100 hryvnias. In markets, cheaper offers can sometimes be found, but the quality of such tomatoes often falls short of that of store-bought products.
Despite the rising prices, Ukrainians are not giving up on fresh tomatoes, as this vegetable remains a staple for many dishes. Some buyers opt for canned tomatoes, but the demand for fresh products remains high.
“For comparison: last year at this time, tomatoes cost 70-80 hryvnias. A 40-50% increase is significant for family budgets. We can only hope that the situation normalizes by the end of the month; otherwise, the New Year’s salad will be quite costly.”
Experts note that the stabilization of tomato prices is only possible if stable weather conditions are established. As long as temperature fluctuations continue, the greenhouse market will operate intermittently, and the price of vegetables is unlikely to decrease anytime soon.