Next week, the largest currant-producing cluster in northern Moldova (Kremenchug, Soroca) will begin harvesting currants. As large volumes of produce reach the country’s urban markets, the price is likely to drop to the typical “high season” level of 75–85 lei/kg. However, according to the “Pomușoarele Moldovei” Berry Producers Association, the currant market segment in Moldova may receive an additional factor supporting prices this season.
As Anetta Ganenko, chairwoman of “Pomușoarele Moldovei,” noted to Logos Press, chain retailers have taken notice of currants this year. There are reports that they will expand their range of berries on store shelves specifically by including currants. This promises more sustained and stable demand—and, consequently, more stable prices.
In many European countries, currants are almost exclusively a “technical” berry, intended for freezing as well as for processing into heat-stable paste (jam), juices, and juice-based beverages. In Moldova, the tradition of consuming currants—early red and late black varieties—fresh remains strong.
Perhaps thanks to chain retailers and the HoReCa sector, this habit among Moldovan consumers will receive an additional boost this year (which has been quite a bumper crop). This is especially true since currants, unlike raspberries and blackberries, for example, are firm berries with a high pectin content, which contributes to their “long shelf life” in the commercial supply chain—up to a month.
The total area of currant plantations in Moldova is approximately 150 hectares, placing it in the top five of the country’s berry sector.
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