Cheap vegetables and fruits are not expected in the 2026 season—UPAA highlights labor shortage as a challenge for the sector.

Ukraine has confirmed its status as the world's largest exporter of frozen raspberries at the end of 2025, and in the 2026 season, the key development vector for the fruit and vegetable sector amid stagnation in domestic consumption will remain the expansion of export growth, reported Taras Bashtannyk, president of the Ukrainian Fruit and Vegetable Association (UFVA). "We have been the world's largest exporters of raspberries for two consecutive years. It is expected that the export volume for the 2025 season will be around 80 thousand tons, up from 65 thousand tons the previous year. The potential for growth remains," he said during the conference "Profitable Agribusiness 2026." According to the expert, a similar trend is observed in the blueberry segment, where production increases by 15-20% every year. Bashtannyk emphasized that the domestic market for blueberries has reached a consumption ceiling of about 10 thousand tons, so further development of the industry is only ...