February 20 2015, 11:54 Fito-Mag

Russia: Belgorod growers' prices for apples at least twice as high as last year

For the present, growers from Belgorod Oblast (Russia) offer apples at prices 2-2.5 times as high as registered in the same period of the previous season.

Current prices vary between RUB 47-60/kg (USD 0.66-0.84/kg), depending on quality and variety. For comparison, prices often went down to RUB 20/kg (USD 0.28/kg) in the mid-February 2014. Year-on-year growth is registered mainly thanks to lower competition with imported produce in the Russian Federation.

In addition, an increase in prices is connected with rapidly decreasing stocks of apples against a background of stable demand. The majority of farmers have managed to sell almost all stocks by late January, and other growers expect to finish sales by the mid-March.