Weekly summary – fresh-market.pl price analysis (11-17.05.2009)

In the second week of May the prices of export apples was slightly changed. Average price of red varieties 70 + (including cartons) was on the level 1.70 PLN/kg; the price of Idared was a little bit higher – 1.80 PLN/kg.

Average price of apples 80 + (including the package) was also on the level 1.80 PLN/kg. So the difference in prices of apples of different sizes reduced. It is a result of bigger supply of large apples what stopped the price increase. Prices of Golden Delicious and Mutsu remained stable week-on-week. Their prices were up to 2.20 PLN/kg and up to 2.50 PLN/kg respectively.

Last week the supply of early cabbage was increasing and it of course resulted in wholesale price decrease. At the end of the week the price of early cabbage was 1.50 – 2 PLN/pcs (with the package). The similar situation is for early Chinese cabbage. Its price at the end of the week was 1.50 – 1.60 PLN/kg. Both these vegetables have still compete with cabbages from last year because the supply of old cabbages is still high. Moreover, according to producers and traders, the demand for early cabbage is clearly smaller than in the corresponding period last year. The wholesale quantities of domestic cauliflowers started appearing on the market, at the moment mainly in southern Poland. Last week the price of these cauliflowers was 3.50 PLN/pcs. After Polish butterhead and curled lettuces, the domestic iceberg lettuces also appeared on the market (1.50 PLN/pcs).

Last week one still could observe the strong downward trend in prices of tomatoes. The average price of tomatoes BB size (in cartons of 6 kg) decreased from 6.13 PLN/kg to 4.49 PLN/kg week-on-week. Regards greenhouse cucumbers their prices didn’t change much. Prices both of long and short cucumbers fluctuated the entire week and in the end of the week the average prices were higher than the week earlier (long 3.13 PLN/kg, short 3.55 PLN/kg).

The prices of last year’s crop vegetables, from cold stores, there is still oversupply of white and red cabbages and their prices remained at very low levels: 0.15 – 0.20 PLN/kg for white cabbage and 0.20 – 0.30 PLN/kg for red one. On the other hand the prices of such vegetables like celeriac, parsley or carrot are rather high as a result of small supply. Lack of these vegetables is supplementing by imported vegetables. Last week the price of carrot considerably increased (up to 3 PLN/kg), as well as imported leeks (up to 5 PLN/kg). The price of imported broccoli remained stable (2.20-2.40 PLN/pcs). Polish broccoli should appear on the market soon. As in the case of cauliflowers, domestic broccoli will appear first in southern Poland.

Lastly, the information about strawberries which very shortly will dominate fruit market in Poland. Last week price of domestic strawberries (at the moment these ones grown under protection) was 7 – 9 PLN/kg. This price is lower than in the corresponding period of last year and shows that upward trend in prices of strawberries from last years was slowed down. In actual fact the upward trend in prices of strawberries started to weaken already in 2008. Producers of strawberries are worrying about this season. May frost in some areas of Poland badly affected strawberries plantations. Producers are also upset by information about stocks of frozen strawberry from the last season.

Source: fresh-market.pl (ms)