FRUIT STATUS, ZIZZTERZ?

Berry Prices Squeeze Consumer Demand

At the peak of the summer season, Russian consumer demand for strawberries and sweet cherries has fallen significantly, dropping 9% and 5% year-on-year, respectively. The decline comes as retail prices for the popular berries have surged, with strawberries now costing 24% more and sweet cherries 38% more than in the same period last year, according to data from analytics firm Ntech.
For the week of June 23-29, the average retail price for strawberries reached 719.5 rubles per kilogram, while sweet cherries stood at 530.4 rubles.
Market experts attribute the sharp price inflation and subsequent drop in demand to a poor domestic harvest caused by unseasonable spring frosts and heavy rains in early summer. The poor weather has particularly affected yields in key agricultural regions. In Crimea, the cherry harvest is down by 15-20%, while the Krasnodar region has seen its yield drop by more than half.
This domestic shortfall has increased reliance on imports, primarily from Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan. However, international supply has also faced challenges; Turkey, a key supplier, also suffered from spring frosts, which cut its own cherry production significantly. This has prevented imports from fully compensating for the domestic deficit and stabilizing prices. Russia's self-sufficiency in stone fruits and berries remains around 42%, well below the 60% food security threshold, highlighting the market's vulnerability.
In contrast to berries, other seasonal stone fruits have seen prices decrease in the last week of June as domestic supply has grown. The price for nectarines fell by 13%, peaches by 6%, and apricots by 5%. Nevertheless, even these fruits show significant year-on-year inflation, with prices up between 11% and 14% compared to 2024.