Apples are not a cheap pleasure these days. And even a quick glance at the shelves of shops confirms this: there are clearly more foreign fruits than Russian ones. The Serbian “Gloster” liquid – 160 rubles per kilo, the Argentine “Crips Pink” – 150, the Turkish “Gala” and “Fuji” are not far behind. According to statistics, there are much more imported apples on our shelves this year.
“Apple supplies to Russia in June 2024 increased 1.8 times compared to June 2023, up to 42,000 tons, and by 10% compared to the previous month,” Rosselkhoznadzor reports.
But the Russian association of berry producers and processors believes that nothing extraordinary has happened. According to the director general of Berry Union, Irina Koziy, apple imports to our country have always been significant, although they gradually decreased as our own production grew.
“In 2022, imports accounted for about half of the total consumption of fresh apples in the country (excluding fruits sent for processing),” the expert said. – And looking at the market situation, we can conclude that the volume of imported fruit supplies has not increased lately, but, on the contrary, is decreasing due to rising prices for imported products against the background of the depreciation of the ruble.
What about Rosselkhoznadzor’s data for June 2024? According to Irina Koziy, this short-term growth is most likely due to the low base effect. After all, a year ago, market participants were faced with a fall in the ruble exchange rate: imports then decreased, but have now returned to normal values. Now suppliers and buyers have somewhat adapted to the current exchange rate, which has been roughly at the same level with minor fluctuations for more than six months,” the expert added. Thus, the volume of imports has partially recovered, but may begin to decline again due to difficulties with payments.
What is happening with the Russian apple harvest?
Apple picking in the Kuibyshev district of the Rostov region. Photo: Eric Romanenko/TASS
“Now we hear very different opinions from different producers and officials,” says the director of Berry Union. – Someone says that on farms in central Russia almost the entire harvest was lost, which is 15-17% of the total. At the same time, there are reports that these losses are compensated by higher yields on farms in the southern regions of the country. Most likely, there will be some losses in the total volume, but they are not very large. At the same time, the price of apples from Russian producers will inevitably rise. This growth is primarily due to the increase in production costs: the rise in prices for all necessary materials and equipment against the background of a fall in the ruble exchange rate and the complication of logistics procedures, a shortage of workers, and the increase in costs for caring for gardens and harvesting, and the rise in prices for transport services.
SPECIFICALLY
TOP 5 countries that will supply apples to Russia in June 2024
Turkey – 9.7 thousand tons
South Africa – 7.2 thousand tons
Serbia – 6.4 thousand tons
China – 4.2 thousand tons
Uzbekistan – 1.7 thousand tons
According to the FSIS “Argus-Fito”.
BY THE WAY
Rosselkhoznadzor also reported that North Korean apples will soon appear in Russia. Authorities of both countries agreed on these supplies at the end of June. For experts, this turn of events is not entirely clear.
“The fact is that North Korea practically does not export apples,” explains Irina Koziy. – The statistics show that the annual export volume of apples from this country amounts to about $300-$3,200 a year. This is only a few tons. The main importer is Brunei. And the maximum amount of $3,200 was reached only once – in 2017. Apples from this country have never been supplied to Russia. The DPRK grows its own apples mainly from Chinese varieties, and there are very few of them. North Korea itself imports apples worth about $3 million a year – that is, 1,000-10,000 times more than it exports. These fruits are considered a delicacy in the country and are several times more expensive than on the Russian market.
