On April 22, it was reported that the Serbian chamber of Commerce and industry and the group of fresh and frozen fruit and vegetable producers warned that they were affected by the economic and Commercial Department of the Embassy of the new coronavirus in the Republic of Serbia
Affected by the situation and the crisis in Ukraine, the export of frozen raspberries in Serbia has decreased significantly in the past two years.
In January this year, the export of raspberry was 5570 tons, about 30% less than the 7930 tons in January 2021. From January to February 2020, the export of frozen raspberries was 19700 tons, a year-on-year decrease of 3000 tons in 2021 and only 111800 tons this year. The export volume has shown a downward trend.
In 2021, thanks to the high price of raspberries, Serbian raspberry exports broke the historical record. The export volume of frozen raspberries reached 426 million US dollars, second only to 557 million US dollars of corn and 255 million US dollars of wheat. According to the Serbian chamber of Commerce and industry, producers believe that the increase in the cost of living and the energy crisis have deepened people’s fear of the shortage of basic food, resulting in major turmoil in the EU market. All this is reflected in the export of frozen fruits from Serbia to the EU and other markets in the world. The European market is the main export destination for Serbian berry producers, and one reason for the reduced demand is that raspberries are not considered a basic food.
Not long ago, Dr. Aleksandar leposavic, one of the most senior experts in this field in Serbia, warned that the price of raspberries this year may exceed that of last year and is expected to reach 600-800 dinars (US $5.5-7.4) per kilogram. As the market situation is worrying, it is too early to make such a prediction. Raspberry exports are also worrying. However, as a major concern in world trade, raspberry, like other types of berries, is a luxury, and exports will stagnate to a certain extent.
According to the analysis of the Serbian chamber of Commerce and industry, compared with January 2021, Serbia’s exports to Germany, the largest market for raspberry exports, halved in January this year. Foreign buyers confirmed that the crisis has changed consumer habits. Due to the high prices of frozen raspberries and blackberries, people now tend to choose cheaper products, such as frozen mixed exotic fruits, while also focusing on buying basic foods.
The Serbian chamber of Commerce and industry stressed that at the same time, the yogurt, jam and other food industries are abandoning expensive raspberries and blackberries and replacing them with cheaper fruits. Research shows that in most retail chains in Western Europe, sales of frozen fruit fell by 10% to 30%.
Source: Economic and Commercial Department of the Embassy in the Republic of Serbia
Post time: May-05-2022