Uzbekistan becomes one of the major exporters of onions to Ukrainian market

According to EastFruit analysts, the first wholesale batches of Uzbek onions have already become available in the wholesale markets of Ukraine.

Despite onions from Uzbekistan offered in Ukraine being 15-25% more expensive than locally produced ones, the demand for them is quite good. As market participants explain, the main reason for the willingness of Ukrainian buyers to pay more for imported Uzbek onions is their higher quality. The fact is that Ukrainian producers, waiting for an increase in onion prices in winter and spring, tried to put all high-quality onions in storage. Thus, the local market is dominated by onions of average quality, creating opportunities for the import of high-quality ones.

Average wholesale prices for onions in Ukraine are 2.5 times higher than the same period last year and higher than in 2019. Prices have not changed since mid-August 2021, which is typical for seasons with balanced supply and demand. The last time onion prices rose in the fall in 2018, but they began to decline closer to 2019 and kept declining until April 2019. This was followed by a sharp price rise to a record level in May 2019, but it was due to the general shortage of onions in Europe.