March 17 2006, 13:03

Early cabbage from Odesa oblast greenhouses is "late" on 2-3 weeks

According to information provided to "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" journal by Dmitriy Chernyak, the Market Information Specialist of Odesa office, Agricultural Marketing Project, farmers report about delayed ripening of early cabbage, grown in greenhouses of the southern regions of Odesa oblast. This year the period of low temperatures continues longer than usually accompanied with significant temperature fluctuation and cloudy weather. As a result, early cabbage vegetation delayed significantly, the plantings are weak because of insufficient sun light.

The farmers report that due to this circumstances plant diseases started to progress even on transplants stage, though such cases are very rare. In some cases all cabbage plants were reported to die in the greenhouses, it happens very seldom, to our relief. So, transplants were planted in greenhouses in the usual terms, but the producers think it will take them more time to ripen. First sets of early cabbage can be supplied on market two or even three weeks later than normally. The initial period of early cabbage production was favorable in the whole, despite of this fact the harvested crop will hardly be supplied on markets earlier than late April.

Recent year's early cabbage production has been a very profitable and dynamically developing business for many private producers and farmers of the southern rayons of Odesa oblast as well as Zakarpattya and Kherson oblasts. Farmers grow cabbage in greenhouses and try to use the climatic advantages of the regions to the fullest extent; the production costs are tend to the minimum, and the prices are quite high at the same time. As a result, the terms of early cabbage supplies on markets depend much on climatic conditions. In 2005 early cabbage came on market mid April, mass supplies started only late April. First sets of early cabbage were sold $ 2.7-3.13/kg past year.

Andriy Yarmak, the Senior Market Information Specialist of the Agricultural Marketing Project believes that delayed supplies of early cabbage provide companies and farmers with extra time to sell remaining stocks of white cabbage harvested in 2005. The expert says that usually demand for white cabbage of past year harvest starts to decrease significantly after many producers begin to supply early cabbage in large volumes; it normally happens on 5th -10th of May.