In Ukraine, carrots can become the most expensive vegetable in the borscht set, surpassing even the traditionally expensive potatoes and beets. During the last month, prices for this root crop have been constantly increasing, and the current situation on the market looks atypical for this season, EastFruit analysts note.

Farmers finished harvesting the late carrot varieties, but the yield turned out to be much lower than expected. According to farmers, up to half of the carrot crop was lost due to unfavorable weather conditions in the summer. Now Ukrainian producers are trying to preserve quality products by putting them in storage, while the market mainly offers carrots of average quality.

The increase in carrot prices has been noticeable since the end of last week, when its value increased by 11%. Currently, Ukrainian farmers are ready to sell this vegetable at a price of 20 to 28 hryvnias per kilogram. For comparison, at the beginning of November last year, the price of carrots was on average 3.7 times lower, which shows a significant increase in the price of the product.

Analyzing the market situation, EastFruit experts emphasize that current carrot prices have become the highest in the last seven years. Such a significant increase in prices is explained by the shortage of quality products, since unfavorable weather conditions this year led to a significant decrease in the volume of collection.

Analysts also note that the market demand for carrots remains stable, while the available volumes are not able to fully satisfy the needs of consumers. In this regard, the cost of carrots is likely to continue to rise, and stocks in storage may become a decisive factor for further price regulation.

Thus, carrots risk establishing themselves as the most expensive component of the borscht set, which may affect the price situation in the vegetable sector in general. The current situation is a reminder of the importance of effective crop conservation methods and increasing its resilience to climate change to ensure stable market prices.