According to experts’ estimations, the Russian fresh fruit market is developing dynamically, gaining 20-30% every year. This growth is basically due to the import though.
Russia takes the 11th place in the world among fruit and vegetables producers and is the 2nd potato grower in the world, but the local horticultural industry is underdeveloped. The Russian fruit production is growing slower than vegetable production, which implies the further increase of the import share.
The explanation of this trend experts find in the outstripping growth rate of the wholesale, which seeks to meet the demand of even faster expanding retail chains. The wholesalers find it easier to work with imported products, which correspond to quality standards and are duly packed, whereas the majority of Russian producers would like the wholesalers to be in charge of processing, calibration, packing and even storing of fruit and vegetables.
Source: www.lol.org.ua