Weekly summary – fresh-market.pl price analysis (08-14.06.2009)

In the second week of June the weather was still unfavourable for growth of fruit and vegetables. Rains and relatively low temperatures adversely affected the supply and prices first of all strawberries as well as tomatoes, French beans or cauliflowers.

Prices of dessert strawberries was stable at the level 3.50 – 7.00 PLN (0.78-1.57 euro)/2kg. The purchase prices of industrial strawberries was 2.20 – 2.60 PLN (0.49-0.58 euro)/2 kg for strawberries without stalks (up to 3 PLN (0.67 euro) in processing plants) and 1.30 – 1.60 PLN (0.29-0.36 euro)/2 kg for strawberries with stalks (up to 2.00 PLN (0.45 euro) in processing plants).

Last week the purchase of gooseberries for processing started. Prices are generally similar to last year's prices. Depending on the area of Poland the prices of gooseberries were from 1.90 up to 2.50 PLN (0.43-0.56 euro)/kg.

The export of Polish apples is ending. Despite the low stocks of apples and in consequence growing prices the demand is still high. Last week the price of Idared, 70 + in cartons was 1.75 PLN (0.39 euro)/kg.

In the second week of June the prices of cherries decreased. At the end of the week the average price of Burlat variety was 4.25 PLN/kg.

The first forecasts on sour cherries crop appeared. The harvest of sour cherries is estimated at about 150 thousand tons and to be lower than last year. It will be a result of decrease in acreage of sour cherries orchards due to unprofitable production in 2006 – 2008. Additionally sour cherries were adversely affected by May frost.

On the market of fresh vegetables one can observe decreasing supply of vegetables of last year’s crop. In the second week of June prices of beets, celeriac, parsley and onion were increasing. The decrease in supply caused that even prices of white and red cabbages slightly rose. So far the demand and prices of these vegetables were very low.

Despite the bad weather supply of early headed cabbage and Chinese cabbage was increasing what resulted in price decrease of these vegetables. At the end of last week also cauliflowers became cheaper, although the weather causes that the supply of these vegetables isn’t big. The prices of cauliflowers decreased by a few per cent week-on-week.

Despite the rainy weather also cucumbers got cheaper. The average price of short cucumbers decreased from 3.00 PLN (0.67 euro)/kg to 2.25 PLN (0.50 euro)/kg week-on-week.
Generally speaking the weather didn’t stop the decrease in prices of most vegetables but affected the pace of this decrease.

Last week only the prices of tomatoes were growing. The average price of tomatoes of B size increased from 3.17 PLN (0.71 euro)/kg to 3.42 PLN (0.77 euro)/kg and the price of BB tomatoes increased from 3.42 PLN (0.77 euro)/kg to 3.58 PLN (0.80 euro)/kg.

Source: fresh-market.pl (ms)