Does the consumption of fruits and vegetables by Ukrainians depend on the season or is it influenced by economic, climatic and military factors? This is one of the questions EastFruit is investigating to find out what factors influence changes in the consumption of fruits and vegetables in Ukraine. In this regard, we turned to Kateryna Nichayeva, Director of the Fresh Department at VARUS supermarket chain, to find out about sales planning in connection with seasonal trends and the martial law in Ukraine.

Consumption of fruits and vegetables in Ukraine does change depending on the season. According to Kateryna Nichayeva, in winter, Ukrainians are more likely to buy citrus fruits, exotic fruits and vegetables such as pineapples, pomegranates, kiwi and mango, as well as apples. However, the demand for salad vegetables such as cucumbers and tomatoes is declining due to high prices.

In the spring, consumption of citrus fruits decreases, but demand for salad vegetables, berries and stone fruits such as peaches, apricots and nectarines increases, due to the change of season and the appearance of new harvests on the market.

In summer and autumn, when Ukrainian fruits and vegetables are harvested, melons, stone fruits, salad vegetables, herbs, and grapes are popular. Products that do not have a pronounced seasonality, such as bananas, are popular throughout the year.

Planning for fruit and vegetable purchases takes into account seasonal trends and past sales history. According to Nichayeva, price has a significant impact on the volume of fruit and vegetable consumption, especially for tomatoes and cucumbers.

Due to the war, the geography of purchases has changed. According to Nichaieva, while the main suppliers used to be from the South, now purchases have shifted to Odesa, Mykolaiv, and western Ukraine. In 2023, procurement volumes in the Central part of Ukraine and Dnipropetrovska oblast almost completely recovered.

As for imports, the main pool of suppliers remained the same, except for the countries under sanctions. There was also a partial decrease in the number of supplies from countries whose logistics are complicated by long transportation times and increased risks.