Moldova exports more apples in last September, October against 2020

Chisinau, 3 November /MOLDPRES/ - Moldova exported over 45,000 tons of apples in last September and October, according to data by the Customs Service. This quantity is much larger against the same period of the year before, when a bit more than 15,000 tons of apples were exported, according to the Moldova Fruct Association.    

The association also said traders reasoned the revival of exports by the fact that producers take into account the 2020 year experience, when all apples were deposited for preservation in refrigerators and were expecting better prices to be sold. Yet, the expectations did not turn out to be true; thus, processing enterprises from Moldova processed over 40,000 tons of apples from refrigerating deposits in January-June 2021.    

The association noted that, this year, both producers and exporters had taken into account the experience of the last season and started the sales season much earlier, in much larger quantities, at prices formed in the current market situation.   

„The highest share of exports represent the variety apples, which the networks of shops fit into the category of ‘’season apples.’’ These apples enjoy demand during or immediately after the harvesting. This is a long-term image effort; the end consumers from the export markets buy high quality Moldovan apples and although the prices are lower, they exempt the producers from additional costs for refrigerator,’’ the Moldova Fruct executive director, Iurie Fala, said.   

The largest volume is exported by the companies listed as providers in networks of shops and the quantities sold on wholesale markets decrease significantly.  

Another aspect about which exporters speak is the considerable increase in the costs for transport, faced by all exporters and not only in Moldova. The costs dear the logistics also for the countries which compete with Moldova on the Russian market, such as Serbia, which presently exports much less to Russia. Another factor which led to the increase in the export volume is the level of the selling prices, according to Moldova Fruct.   

An analysis of the export destinations shows a slight tendency of market’s diversification for the Moldovan apples. ‘’Producers in these two months managed to sell more than 100 tons of apples in countries from the Middle East. Another market where sales went is the one of Kazakhstan and Belarus. About 3,000 tons were exported to these destinations. Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning that the basic market for apples further remains Russia,’’ the Association’s experts said.    

This year, Moldova registers a harvest of 600,000 tons of apples, up against the last year, when 480,000 tons were harvested. The Moldova Fruct Association informed in advance the members to pay increased priority to the apples’ quality, their harvesting in the best terms, in order to ensure the qualitative preservation in refrigerating deposits.    

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