Seasonal rise in onion prices in Moldova started earlier than usual

From the beginning of 2023, the price of onions in the Moldovan market has started to increase. The average wholesale price for onions in Moldova has increased by 12% over the past two weeks, from 8 to 9 MDL/kg (€0.43/kg). This is not typical for January. As EastFruit analysts previously noted, the first gradual increase in wholesale onion prices usually occurs in February, when national fruit and vegetable markets usually see a lower supply of local onions due to depleted supplies. However, the price increase started much earlier this year, because stocks were almost exhausted in December 2022. Two factors contributed to this. The first is the drop in onion production last year. As EastFruit reported, experts estimate that Moldova's onion acreage in 2022 has not decreased from the previous year - onions were sown on about 1,200-1,500 ha. However, within the total area sown, some small growers have increased their area, and some larger growers who influence the market have reduced ...