Wholesale prices for apricots in Moldova decreased from 35-40 MDL/kg ($1.82-2.0/kg) to 15-18 MDL/kg ($0.78-0.93/kg) over the last week of June and the first week of July. This week, apricot prices continue to decline.
Fruit market participants claim that even for high-quality goods (large fruits without mechanical damage, sunburn or disease) wholesale buyers are ready to pay no more than 12-13 MDL/kg ($0.62-0.67/kg). This is much lower than last year’s July price for apricots – 18-20 MDL/kg.
Experts of agricultural producers’ organizations claim that the main reason for the decline in prices in the first half of July is the rotation of varieties – during this period, early-ripening varieties are replaced by mid-ripening apricot varieties. The market is currently dominated by offers of apricot “Shalakh” and “Nadezhda” varieties. Both varieties have an exquisite taste, but they are very sensitive to the quality and timing of harvesting – when ripened, they must be removed from the trees within a few days and need emergency cooling. Slightly overripe fruits quickly lose density, keeping quality and transportability. This greatly reduces the “commercial period” and increases the risk of losses for wholesale buyers.
Source: east-fruit.com