Apple orchards can bring much higher income per hectare compared to grain products, - Veaceslav Ionita.
In the next economic analysis, IDIS Viitorul expert examined the market for agricultural production and trade of apples, one of the most important fruits for the Moldovan economy. The expert notes that this is the most politicized product from an export point of view, but notes that apples should be among the strategic products for export, and the development of apple orchards can be highly profitable. Unlike other fruits, sales revenues of which have increased significantly in recent years, the situation on the apple market has not changed. For example, in 2023, the volume of sales of plums increased from 600 million to 1.1 billion lei, and income from the sale of apples remained at the level of 2022 – 2.5 billion lei. At the same time, apple exports increased from $21.4 million in 1995 to $90.7 million in 2022, but decreased to $62.6 million in 2023. The expert notes that for most of these periods the Moldovan apple market was associated with Russia. In recent years, it was not possible to completely reorient to new markets, since the Russian market was lost too quickly. Over the past 3 years, several historical extremes have occurred related to the export of Moldovan apples to Russia. In 2021, Moldova exported 97% of apples to the Russian Federation, and now - about 50%, the rest was compensated by other markets. Thus, $52 million of export income that Moldova received from Russia was compensated by reorienting exports to Kazakhstan, Romania, Belarus, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Oman, Israel, and Kazakhstan. Herewith, in 2023, compared to 2021, the volume of exports decreased by $25 million. The expert also notes an increase in domestic consumption of apples. So, if in 1996-2000 Moldova consumed 302 thousand tons of apples per year, then in 2011/2015 – 157 thousand tons, in 2022 – 259 thousand tons, in 2023 – 401 thousand tons. The average selling price of apples in 2015 on the domestic market was 2.82 lei per kilogram, on the foreign market - 3.46 lei per kilogram (equivalent). For comparison, in 2023 the price on the domestic market was 3.33 lei/kg, for export – 9.76 lei/kg. “Exported apples cost 3 times more than those consumed domestically. We lost the Russian market, instead exports went to other markets, where we export much less apples, but earn much more money,” states Veaceslav Ionita. The expert analyzes the chronology of trade relations between Moldova and Russia in the context of geopolitical changes. According to his information, Moldovan apples were exported to 49 countries in 2023: Russia – 52.9%; Kazakhstan – 17.4%; Romania – 10.1%; Belarus – 5.3%; UAE – 3.8%; Saudi Arabia – 3.3%; Uzbekistan – 1.9%; Kyrgyzstan – 1.3%; Oman – 0.5%; Qatar – 0.5%; the remaining 39 countries – 3%. // 27.05.2024 — InfoMarket.
