Raspberry harvest in Ukraine in 2026 will probably be lower than last year, but the reduction in supply was compensated by record high purchase prices, said the president of the Ukrainian Fruit and Vegetable Association (UPOA) Taras Bashtannyk in an interview SEEDS, published on September 2, 2026.
According to him, it is still premature to talk about a new record in terms of physical volumes of raspberry production.
"I wouldn't be in a hurry with a volume record, for sure. It seems to me that there are fewer raspberries this year than last year. In monetary terms, there may be a record or a repeat of last year, because the price of raspberries this year is even higher than last year," Bashtannyk said.
The most indicative factor of the season was the sharp increase in the cost of raw materials for processing. According to the president of UPOA, purchase prices for raspberries for processing and freezing in certain periods reached UAH 193-195 per kg without VAT.
Bashtannyk noted that the Ukrainian market had not recorded such a level of purchase prices before. Thus, the lower yield this season was largely compensated by the higher price of the berry.
At the same time, the Ukrainian raspberry market remains mainly export-oriented. According to the assessment of the president of UPOA, 90-95% of raspberries produced in Ukraine are sent to foreign markets, while domestic consumption remains relatively small.
"I would say that 90-95% of raspberries are exports. And, most likely, the trend will continue," he said.
One of the main limitations for further production expansion remains the high need for manual labor. According to Bashtannyk, raspberries are actually harvested by hand, and the mechanization of this process is currently limited. This restrains the rapid expansion of areas even at a high market price.
High purchase prices also confirm the shortage of quality raw materials on the European market. According to EastFruit, Ukraine already ranks first in the world in terms of net raspberry exports, and export revenue in the 2025/26 season reached a record $250.8 million, an increase of about 65% compared to the previous season.
Thus, the 2026 season for Ukrainian raspberry producers may become a record not in terms of the volume of the harvest, but in terms of the value of the products sold. The future situation will depend on the harvest in Ukraine and the main European producing countries, as well as the demand from the berry freezing and processing enterprises.
