The blueberry season in Ukraine may become one of the most difficult for producers in recent years. Due to the significant expansion of areas under berry plantations and the expected large volume of supply on the market, there are risks of a significant drop in prices already during the harvest.

This is reported by AgroTimes. Analysts note that the situation is being formed under the influence of several factors at once, which simultaneously put pressure on both producers and the market price of products.

The key factor is a significant increase in the area of ​​blueberry plantations planted in previous years. Combined with a large amount of berries on the market, this creates the prerequisites for excess supply, especially during the mass harvest period.

At the same time, current retail prices for imported blueberries, which reach about UAH 1.5 thousand per kilogram, do not reflect the real situation of the upcoming season. As Ksenia Guseva, an expert at APK-Inform, emphasizes in the article for the publication “Gardening in Ukrainian”, the true balance of supply and demand will become clear only after large volumes of domestic products enter the market.

In this case, producers fear a sharp drop in prices. According to market participants, during peak harvest periods, the cost may drop to a critical level of about UAH 200 per kilogram, which will jeopardize the profitability of a significant part of farms.

Weather conditions have an additional impact on the situation. According to Ksenia Guseva, spring frosts have significantly affected some regions. In particular, in the Kharkiv region, blueberries have almost completely frozen out, and serious losses have also been recorded in the Poltava region.

In contrast, the western regions demonstrate a better condition of plantings, which partially compensates for regional losses. However, in general, the situation in the industry remains unstable, as blueberries are more sensitive to weather risks compared to other berry crops.

Experts emphasize that protecting large industrial plantations from frost is technically difficult, as it is almost impossible to completely cover them with agrofibre. This makes the industry vulnerable to weather fluctuations and further complicates harvest planning.

As a result, the blueberry market enters the season with conflicting signals: on the one hand, there are local losses and risks of shortages, and on the other, a structural expansion of production, which could lead to a surplus of products and price pressure during the mass harvest period.