EastFruit analysts note an interesting trend in the Central Asian market of berries. After many local freezers suffered huge losses from freezing raspberries in the 2022/23 season, after the collapse of prices on the global market for this frozen berry, in the 203/24 season freezers did not purchase raspberries at all. However, now experts note a sharp renewal of interest to raspberries.
Although the region has problems with production volumes of raspberries and its quality, it is one of the most interesting berries in 2024 for the market participants.
Traditionally, the berry business has reportedly developed somewhat more dynamically in Tajikistan. Therefore, just like two years ago, in 2024 there are companies from Uzbekistan importing large volumes of fresh raspberries for freezing from Tajikistan.
EastFruit reported in late June that according to international expert of the fruit and vegetable business, Bakhtiyor Abduvohidov, the purchasing price for raspberries in Tajikistan in 2024 was about US$1.3 US dollars per kilogram. He estimates the volume of exports of Tajik raspberries to Uzbekistan at approximately 20 tons every day.
Uzbek processors are currently exporting frozen raspberries to the Russian market at a price of about US$2.00 US dollars per kg. For comparison, prices for high-quality frozen raspberries at the end of the sales season in the EU were estimated at approximately US$3.20 per kilogram. However, the countries of Central Asia cannot yet offer raspberries of this quality as their varieties are outdated. Therefore, this price is very attractive both for freezers and for farmers who grow this berry in both: Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
