As reported by Опен4business, the yield of blueberries in Ukraine in the 2026 season turned out to be low almost throughout the country, while in some farms the harvest of medium-ripening varieties is practically absent, the president of the Ukrainian Fruit and Vegetable Association (UPOA) reported.
The main cause of the problems was the spring frosts, which had the strongest impact on mid-ripening and late blueberry varieties.
"The yield this year is really bad. And so almost throughout Ukraine," Bashtannyk said. According to him, in some places the yield of medium-ripe varieties turned out to be "absolutely zero".
At the same time, the situation on the consumer market looks completely different: despite problems with yield, blueberries in the height of the season have become significantly cheaper. According to the assessment of the head of UPOA, the selling price of the berry directly from farms is about UAH 100/kg, while the retail price is around UAH 200/kg.
Bashtannyk notes that blueberry is gradually ceasing to be a niche, expensive berry and is turning into a mass product for the Ukrainian market. The growth of domestic consumption is accompanied by the expansion of the supply, although the most efficient producers are still focused, in particular, on exports.
"The gooseberry has become a "popular" berry, because there is now a lot of it and consumers like it," said the president of UPOA.
An additional limitation for the industry is the shortage of workers, especially during harvest. According to Bashtannyk, the labor shortage affects almost all producers and can restrain the further expansion of the berry business.
Cultivation of blueberries in containers and tunnels, which allows to partially reduce the impact of adverse weather, has not yet become widespread in Ukraine either. The head of UPOA considers this technology rather niche due to the high cost of substrates, infrastructure and additional requirements for production.
Problems with the harvest arise against the background of a difficult situation with the export of Ukrainian blueberries. According to data published on August 12 by the association "Yagodarstvo Ukrainy", in the 2025/26 marketing year, blueberry exports decreased by almost three times - to 7.6 thousand tons against 24.4 thousand tons in the previous season. Export revenue decreased by 40% to 44.5 million euros, despite the increase in the average export price to 5.85 euros per kg.
Poland, Austria and the Czech Republic remained the main foreign markets for Ukrainian blueberries.
the development of the domestic market and the promotion of Ukrainian products on foreign markets.
