Ukrainians may face a 15–20% increase in apple prices in the coming months due to rising costs associated with storing the harvest, ProAgro Group reports.

The main challenges are a shortage of storage facilities and high energy costs. As a result, by early January the average retail price of apples had already increased to UAH 32–33 per kilogram.

Product storage expert Pavlo Bulhakov explains that daily power outages are the key factor behind the price growth.

“To maintain the required temperature in storage facilities, farmers have to rely on generators, which is very costly,” the expert noted.

According to his estimates, taking into account equipment depreciation, prices could rise by 20–25%. By March, the price of standard Ukrainian apples may reach UAH 40 per kilogram, while popular varieties such as Idared could exceed UAH 50 per kilogram.

As previously reported, according to the December forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ukraine’s apple harvest in the 2025/26 marketing year is expected to total 1.173 million tonnes, remaining at the level of the past three years.

Source: TELEGRAF