Losses in the Republic of Moldova due to spring frosts of the cherry crop-2025 in the range of 50-80% is a speculative estimate, which is already confirmed by practice. As Vitalii Obreceanu, commercial director of Fresh Time entrepreneurial cooperative, commented on the situation in a conversation with Logos Press correspondent, even if the harvest has decreased by two thirds or more, it is still worth harvesting and, most importantly, taking care of the health of plantations.
At the same time, many fruit market operators agree that a sharp reduction in the harvest will not necessarily be accompanied by a corresponding increase in “demand prices”. Against the background of declining purchasing power, the Moldovan consumer (and early cherries are traditionally sold exclusively on the domestic market) will not necessarily agree to give a lot of money for the first fruits.
Thus, for example, at the beginning of last week the first and the most expensive Spanish cherries in Moldovan retailers had a symbolically high price of 450 lei/kg, but by the end of the week it decreased to 350 lei/kg. And yesterday, some supermarket chains offered Greek cherries for less than 200 lei/kg.
In this context, market traders warn themselves and fellow competitors against the “temptation of inflated expectations”. At the current level of quality of the first local cherries, the average Moldovan consumer will hardly agree to pay more than 100-150 lei/kg for them in retail. Accordingly, the current wholesale offer price of farm cherries in the region of 70-80 lei/kg is most likely a “ceiling price” even in conditions of limited supply.
Most likely, the “moderately high” price for cherries will last at least until mid-June, when medium- and late-ripening varieties of “export-oriented” cherries will appear on the market. And then much will depend on the ability of agricultural producers to cooperate and jointly collect more or less large export shipments of cherries.
And one more significant factor that can affect the market layout. In previous seasons, with a good crop and quality of cherries at the “seasonal peak”, Moldova lacked the capacity to sort/package cherries for export, which resulted in a significant portion of quality cherries reaching the domestic market at a moderate price.
This year, with a limited supply of goods, the infrastructural capacity to ensure external sales may be sufficient. Then the internal market of the Republic of Moldova with its low solvency may not be interesting for traders at all. Especially in the situation of high losses and high demand for cherries/cherries in the European Union.
