Weekly summary – fresh-market.pl price analysis (21-27.09.2009)

The fourth week of September didn’t bring significant changes in fresh fruit market. Prices of dessert apples remained stable. One could observe slight bigger export to Russia.

The price of Gala was 1.10 - 1.30 PLN (0.26-0.31 euro)/kg. The prices of Lobo, Cortland, Paula Red and Shampion were from 0.80 to 1.00 PLN (0.19-0.24 euro)/kg. On the market there are also already available apples of Ligol variety at price 1.20 PLN/kg (all prices for apples 70 + in cartons). Despite lower than last year’s harvest, the prices of apples are similar.

The purchase price of industrial apples also remained low - 0.15 - 0.17 PLN (0.035-0.04 euro)/kg. The supply of these apples is low.

This year one can observe the bumper crop of plums and as a result their average prices are much lower than last year. Currently, prices of plums are from 0.60 - 0.70 PLN (0.14-0.17 euro)/kg for the cheapest varieties. The price of plums intended for export (e.g. President 40 +, in a plastic boxes) is 1.40 - 1.60 PLN (0.33-0.38 euro)/kg. Last year the average price of such plums was 2.20 PLN (0.52 euro)/kg.

In the market one can observe the influence of so called Polish golden autumn on vegetables prices. Sunny weather is favourable for vegetables vegetation what results in lower prices. However in the near future the nights will become colder what will have an impact on the prices of greenhouse cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. So far the prices of greenhouse cucumbers remained relatively low. However the very low supply of field-grown cucumbers results in upward trend in prices of greenhouse cucumbers. At the end of last week the price of long cucumbers was 1.75 PLN (0.42 euro)/kg and the price of short cucumbers was 2.15 PLN (0.51 euro)/kg. Last year, when the weather was much worse, the price of long cucumbers was 3.50 PLN (0.83 euro)/kg and the price of short ones was 4.25 PLN (1.01 euro)/kg.

This year the tomatoes are also cheaper than in the corresponding period 2008, although the differences are much smaller than in the case of cucumbers. Last week the average price of B tomatoes was 2.00 PLN (0.48 euro)/kg (2.45 PLN (0.58 euro)/kg in 2008), the price of tomatoes of BB size was 2.17 PLN (0.52 euro)/kg (2.55 PLN (0.61 euro)/kg in 2008). Prices of red sweet peppers (3.00 PLN (0.71 euro)/kg) was also lower than last year (3.50 PLN (0.83 euro)/kg.
Last week the prices root vegetables also were decreasing. At the end of last week the price of beets was 0.30 PLN (0.07 euro)/kg, prices of carrots were from 0.40 PLN (0.09 euro)/kg, prices of celeriac were from 0.70 PLN (0.17 euro)/kg and the price of parsley in some areas of Poland was 1.00 PLN (0.24 euro)/kg.

In the centre of Poland, the prices of cauliflowers finally decreased due to higher crops. In łódzkie province the purchase price of cauliflowers was 1.00 – 1.20 PLN (0.24-0.29 euro)/pcs and the average price of cauliflowers in carton decreased from 1.90 PLN (0.45 euro)/pcs. to 1.60 PLN (0.38 euro)/pcs.

Source: fresh-market.pl (ms)