Ukrainian fruits can become a shortage: experts predict that will disappear from the counters

In the summer, Ukrainians face a shortage of their favorite fruits – peaches, apricots, plums, and cherries. Instead of a wealth of local seasonal products, there are mainly imported products on the shelves. The reasons for this situation are not only weather disasters, but also systemic problems in the agricultural sector.

This year, anomalous frosts in the spring destroyed up to 80% of the bloom of apricots, as well as caused severe losses of peach and cherry crops. In some farms, the loss reached 90% of early varieties. Those fruits that have been preserved have become much more expensive due to urgent measures to protect the crop.

Dmitry Ostapenko, director of the agricultural company, noted that domestic peaches are almost not present on the market: more than 90% of fruits in stores are imports.

The causes of the fruit crisis are not only the weather, but also the lack of stable state support, outdated agrotechnology, and an insufficient level of garden protection. Despite Ukraine’s potential competition with countries such as Italy, Spain, and Greece, domestic products cannot be confidently fixed in the market.

Problems in Ukraine indicate that it could replace imports in the season, but the actual reality is different. Ostapenko emphasizes that there is no system support.

Insufficient crop production leads to empty shelves in stores, resulting in serious economic consequences: decreased currency income, reduced jobs, higher consumer prices, and increased dependence on imported fruits.

Problems with crops also arose in other countries, such as the Czech Republic and Serbia, where spring cold has caused significant losses that affect the overall deficit and prices.