Following a challenging season for local freezers who experienced substantial losses due to plummeting global prices for frozen raspberries last year, Uzbekistan has increased its rasberry imports from Tajikistan, according to EastFruit. It is a response to the previous year’s market instability that led many freezers to stop purchasing raspberries.
EastFruit analysts observe a noteworthy shift within the Central Asian berry market. With a renewed surge of interest in 2024, raspberries have become a prime commodity among regional traders.
Traditionally, Tajikistan’s berry sector has outpaced Uzbekistan in terms of development, prompting Uzbek companies to source large volumes of fresh raspberries from Tajik suppliers for freezing purposes.
Bakhtiyor Abduvokhidov, a leading international expert in the fruit and vegetable business, reports that the average purchase price for raspberries in Tajikistan this year has been approximately $1.3 per kilogram. To meet burgeoning demand, Uzbekistan imports around 20 tons of raspberries daily from northern Tajik regions.
These raspberries are processed within Uzbekistan and later exported to Russia, where they command a price of about $2 per kilogram. This rate is competitive, especially compared to the $3.2 per kilogram rate for high-quality frozen raspberries in the European Union at the end of their sales season.
Despite the economic benefits, challenges due to the use of outdated raspberry varieties persist, limiting Central Asia’s competitive edge against more established markets. Yet, the evolving market conditions underscore robust opportunities for processors and local farmers engaged in raspberry cultivation across both Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
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