Moldova: Expensive Early Cabbage, Cheap Seasonal Cabbage
According to expert estimates, this year, significantly less than 1,000 hectares in Moldova are planted with white cabbage (five to seven years ago, the area allocated to this crop was several times larger). The reasons for the reduction in cabbage plantings include rising production costs, the difficult financial situation of many vegetable farms, and—perhaps most importantly—low prices for mid-season cabbage varieties.
This year, farmers sold early cabbage at a relatively high price—about 6–7 lei per kilogram. However, mid-season cabbage varieties will soon begin flooding the market in large quantities. Consequently, prices will drop significantly in the second half of summer and the first half of fall. Market operators do not rule out that prices could fall to last year’s level—3–4 lei/kg.
Little late-season cabbage has been planted in Moldova. This means that starting in November and beyond, prices for this variety will almost certainly rise in the country.
Poland: Prices Are Plummeting
The sales season for young white cabbage in Poland began under extremely unfavorable conditions for producers. Despite the arrival of fresh produce at wholesale markets in early June, demand remains very weak, and starting prices have hit historic lows, according toFruitVeb.
According to market participants, buyers are showing minimal interest. Sellers currently have limited information on prices, and there are even fewer signals coming from wholesale customers. Many buyers are in no hurry to purchase even small batches of produce, which is creating an atmosphere of uncertainty right at the start of the season.
As early as the first half of June, the price of early cabbage sold by the head dropped significantly. On the wholesale market, the price for fresh-consumption cabbage is 1.50–2.50 zlotys per head, which is approximately 20% lower than at the beginning of the month. Current figures are virtually on par with the lows of the extremely poor 2021 season, which is causing serious concern among producers.
The situation is even more challenging in the bulk sales segment. Starting prices range from 0.50 to 0.70 zloty per kilogram ($0.13–0.19 per kilogram). Such low prices at the start of the season have not been seen in recent years. Even compared to the crisis season five years ago, current prices are approximately 40% lower. This suggests that the current year may turn out to be even more difficult for Polish cabbage producers than the infamous 2021 season.
Ukraine: Prices Hold Steady Due to Rising Logistics Costs
In Ukraine, prices for early cabbage began to rise last week, according to analysts at the EastFruit project. According to producers, the main reason for the price increase in this segment was a seasonal factor: early varieties have effectively run out at farms, while later varieties have not yet hit the market.
As of today, white cabbage producers are quoting prices for their produce in the range of 12–20 UAH/kg ($0.27–0.45/kg), which is, on average, 52% higher than at the end of last workweek.
According to farmers, the price increase is due to reduced market supply caused by the off-season. The harvest season for early-maturing cabbage varieties on farms is coming to an end, while producers have not yet begun the mass harvest of mid-season and mid-late varieties. At the same time, demand for cabbage remains relatively stable at present, which, against the backdrop of insufficient supply, is also driving price increases in this segment.
It should be noted that, at present, cabbage from the 2026 harvest on the Ukrainian market is already, on average, 20% more expensive than it was at the end of June last year. Some market operators attribute this to high logistics costs and, consequently, the lack of imports. However, sellers do not rule out the possibility that a downward price trend may return to the market in the near future, as soon as producers begin harvesting medium-sized cabbage varieties on a large scale.
Follow our updates
