Judging by the price monitoring of east-fruit.com, “Aidared” apples went up in price the most – up to 8-10 lei/kg – as well as some other red varieties. At the same time, Moldovan apples in January were (and still are) the most expensive among similar products in the European monitoring zone of the mentioned Internet portal (except for Russia, where apples of almost all varieties are significantly more expensive).
How do Moldovan fruit market operators interpret this situation?
According to the opinion of apple growers and exporters interviewed by Logos Press correspondent, the slight increase in the price of these main Moldovan fruits (in winter, at least) is caused by two main factors.
The first one is the seasonal increase in prices for red low-budget (social) apples on the Russian market. This category of products, by the way, includes apples of such, conditionally speaking, “obsolete” and low-liquidity (on the “expensive” European market) varieties as “Aidared”. Probably, some Moldovan traders in January-February will again risk to “try their luck” on the Russian market of apples of inexpensive varieties and low quality.
Secondly, in the second half of winter (especially in abnormally cold winter), a priori demand for fruits with “the shortest logistic shoulder” increases.
However, on the other hand, Moldovan apple in bulk, the same “Aidared”, judging by the data of east-fruit.com, is more expensive than Polish apple by about 0.20-0.22 euros/kg. Therefore, it can be competitive only under certain conditions and only on the market of the nearest, bordering regions of Romania.
