This year, the price of raspberries is on its peak, but the demand in this period is much lower than in previous years, experts say. The global crisis therefore also affects some producers of this fruit who hope to earn something by the end of the year, as the harvest of the autumn varieties has just begun.
September is just around the corner, and in Milorad Tulimirović’s raspberry patch, raspberries of the Polana variety have arrived for harvesting. The harvest will last until the snow, and the current purchase price is 450 dinars per kilogram.
“They say it will drop to 400. Now what will happen, how it will be, I don’t know. Here, the Willamette raspberry was 620 and the difference is big,” says Milorad Tulimirović from Kosjerić.
Most producers have paid people to reap the rewards, but there are also those who expect money from exported goods. And exports are currently at a standstill, experts say.
“Buyers of our fruit all over the world are afraid to face some essential questions. So, in every case, they choose some basic foods rather than, for example, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, which belong to that group of products with the highest elasticity in demand”, explains Aleksandar Leposavic from the Čačak Fruit Growing Institute.
Nevertheless, the criteria for Serbian fruit have been continuously increased when it comes to fruit quality and size, which was achieved, but with lower yields. Despite the crisis, a way will be found to place this year’s crop as well, experts think.
This post is also available in: Italiano