In the 2026/27 season, Ukraine has high chances to take first place in the world not only in terms of net exports, but also in terms of the total volume of exports of frozen raspberries against the background of a sharp reduction in the harvest of the main competitors - Serbia and Poland, according to the August analytical report of the Association "Yagodarstvo Ukraine".
According to the association's assessment, the raspberry harvest in Serbia in 2026 may amount to about 30,000 tons versus about 65,000 tons in the regular season, which would be the lowest in about 30 years. Production was affected by spring frosts, plant diseases, heat and extreme drought: only about 7 mm of rain fell in Serbia in August.
The situation was also complicated in Poland, where spring frosts damaged berry plantations. The reduction in supply immediately affected European prices: the price of Serbian IQF raspberries reached about 7 EUR/kg, which is about 51% higher than last year's level.
For Ukrainian suppliers, this creates a favorable price window. Ukraine is already the world leader in terms of net export of frozen raspberries, that is, in terms of the volume of exports minus imports. In the 2025/26 season, from June 2025 to May 2026, the country exported 63.3 thousand tons of frozen raspberries worth a record $250.8 million. Export revenue increased by 65% year-on-year, and the average price was 3.96 euros/kg.
The new season also started at a high price level. In June 2026, Ukraine exported about 2.15 thousand tons of frozen raspberries at an average price of 4.14 euros/kg. The Czech Republic, Poland and Germany became the main destinations of deliveries.
The Ukrainian frozen raspberry sector has significantly strengthened its position on the European market over the past few years. According to the results of 2024, EastFruit analysts estimated Ukraine's exports at approximately 65.1 thousand tons, while Serbia exported about 67.7 thousand tons. However, Serbia simultaneously imported about 4.7 thousand tons of berries for further re-export, so its net export was about 63 thousand tons. Ukraine, which practically does not import raspberries, became the world leader in this indicator for the first time.
Poland also remains one of the largest centers of global trade in frozen raspberries, but its role is largely related to the processing and re-export of imported berries. According to EastFruit, in 2024 more than half of the frozen raspberries exported by Poland were imported raw materials, a significant part of which came from Ukraine. Poland's net export was estimated at only about 16,000 tons.
At the same time, Ukraine is gradually reducing its dependence on Polish intermediaries. In 2022-2024, Poland's share of Ukrainian frozen raspberry exports decreased from 63% to 35%, while the share of Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and France together increased to 48%. During this period, direct deliveries to Germany increased by 4.5 times, to the Czech Republic by 4.2 times, to Austria by 33 times.
The main condition for securing Ukraine in the first place remains the quality of processing. A significant part of the added value is formed not at the stage of growing the berry, but during sorting, individual IQF shock freezing, packaging and direct sale to European chains and industrial consumers. Therefore, the further growth of processing capacities may be no less important than the increase of the plantations themselves.
According to the latest available FAOSTAT data for 2024, Russia remained the largest producer of raspberries in the world - about 213.8 thousand tons, the second place was taken by Mexico - 175.5 thousand tons, and the third - Serbia - 94 thousand tons. It was followed by the USA with approximately 82.1 thousand tons and Poland with about 76.9 thousand tons. Ukraine produced about 33.6 thousand tons. These indicators reflect raspberry cultivation itself and do not coincide with export ratings, since part of the harvest is consumed domestically, and some countries actively import berries for processing and re-export.
Ukraine, Serbia and Poland remain the main players in the world trade of frozen raspberries. Since 2024, Ukraine has been the leader in terms of net exports, while Serbia has still maintained a slight advantage in terms of gross supplies. In the broader customs category HS 081120, which also includes frozen blackberries and some related berries, Chile is among the major exporters, so the customs ratings cannot be completely equated with the rating of raspberries.
If the forecast of the Association "Berry Growing of Ukraine" is confirmed, the 2026/27 season may be the first when Ukraine simultaneously ranks first in the world for both pure and gross export of frozen raspberries.
