AZE.US
Summer has arrived in Azerbaijan, but the expected seasonal drop in fruit prices has not followed.
This year, prices for several popular summer fruits remain unusually high in local markets. A kilogram of cherries is selling for up to 18 manats, cherry plums for up to 12 manats and raspberries for up to 18 manats.
For many families, especially those preparing traditional homemade jams and winter preserves, the prices have forced a rethink of summer spending.
Experts say the increase is linked to several factors: crop losses, unfavorable weather, higher farming costs and stronger exports.
Agricultural expert Eldar Huseynov said to Kaspi.az that one of the main reasons behind the price increase is the unusually rainy weather this season.
“There have not been such continuous rains for a long time. Heavy rainfall increased plant diseases. Because of daily rain, downpours and hail, farmers could not properly fight diseases. As a result, yields fell by about 80% compared to previous years,” Huseynov said.
According to him, Azerbaijan’s cherry plum supply traditionally came mainly from Goychay, Ujar and Zardab. In recent years, large plantations have also been created in Yevlakh, while cherry plums from Guba usually entered the market toward the end of the season.
This year, however, Goychay did not produce a strong cherry plum harvest, and large orchards in Saatly also failed to meet expectations. As a result, cherry plum prices rose sharply.
Huseynov said the cherry plum season is now almost over. Prices have dropped only for overripe, low-grade or processing-quality fruit. High-quality cherry plums are not expected to become cheaper.
The expert said the cherry harvest was also hit by rain during the pollination period, preventing trees from setting fruit properly. Exports added further pressure, as large volumes of Azerbaijani cherries were sent to the Russian market, leaving mostly second- and third-grade fruit for domestic buyers.
“When first-grade cherries reached the local market, they were extremely expensive,” he said.
The situation has begun to change in recent days. Huseynov said the arrival of large volumes of cherries from Moldova in Moscow and other Russian cities has pushed prices down in Russia, which has already had some impact on the Azerbaijani market.
Cherries from Kherson are also expected to enter the market soon. After that, prices may gradually decline. For now, hopes for the domestic cherry supply are mainly linked to Shamkir, Tovuz, Gazakh and Aghstafa.
White cherries, however, may become even more expensive in the next one to two weeks. Huseynov said there are almost no white cherries this year in Guba and Gusar, while much of the fruit sold as “Guba cherries” in markets is actually brought from western Azerbaijan.
Huseynov expects prices to fall in the coming weeks for cherries, strawberries, peaches, including flat peaches, and nectarines.
A sharp drop is also expected in sour cherry prices. According to the expert, 12 trucks of sour cherries are currently arriving in Azerbaijan from Iran. While first-grade local sour cherries sell for 12 to 13 manats per kilogram, the cost of Iranian sour cherries is around 4 manats. With a wholesale price of about 5 manats, they could be sold in markets for 7 to 8 manats.
Huseynov said Russia remains the largest buyer of Azerbaijan’s fruit and vegetable exports. When prices rise in Russia, prices inside Azerbaijan also tend to increase automatically.
But after recent problems in Moscow markets, demand and purchasing power have weakened, while traders have become more cautious about sending goods there. This could lead to lower prices for some products in Azerbaijan’s domestic market.
Economist Khalid Kerimli also said heavy rains have had a negative impact on orchards. While rainfall may benefit some field crops, it can create serious problems for fruit trees during flowering and pollination.
He said such weather increases farmers’ costs for crop care and treatment. Rain washes pesticides and protective products off the trees, forcing farmers to spray them again.
Another problem is the appearance and commercial quality of the fruit. Heavy rainfall can cause early fruits such as cherries and cherry plums to crack, reducing their quality and increasing losses for farmers.
At the same time, Kerimli said it would be wrong to speak about a nationwide fruit and vegetable shortage. Azerbaijan has different climate zones, so weather conditions and harvest levels vary by region.
According to him, the issue is not a general shortage, but a lower supply of certain fruits. This is especially true for early cherry plums, cherries, apricots, some peach varieties, as well as apples and pears.
The combination of reduced supply, weather damage and export pressure is why fruit prices in Azerbaijan remain higher than usual this summer.
AZE.US