In the 2020-2021 fruit season, Ukraine increased apple export to Africa by 6 times. Now the total profit from fruit export reaches 630 tons. In 2 years, the number of African apple consumers from Ukraine has increased from 2 to 9, which is a good trend. We now export fruit to Kenya, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Kakmerun, Maldives, Sudan, Djibouti, Gambia, Somalia, and Ethiopia.
According to Andrii Yermak, an economist with the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), it is advantageous for Ukraine to supply fruit to the sub-Saharan region of Africa because the price is high and, to reduce risks, buyers give prepayments. The Ukrainian side, in turn, needs to prepare the freshest apple and create perfect storage conditions for the products, as delivery by sea takes 40 days. The fruit must also be treated with an ethylene inhibitor, as it will be unloaded and sold in countries with temperatures uncharacteristic of the Ukrainian range.
January 2022 was marked by the continued export of Ukrainian apples to Ethiopia. The triple demand of Belarus for Ukrainian products due to the imposition of an embargo on purchasing goods from the European Union could be an obstacle to this. However, Ukraine has decided to diversify its markets instead of concentrating on the nearest ones.
The winners in the apple supplier race are traditionally Poland, the United States, Italy, and China. But thanks to the growing activity of Ukrainian businessmen and agricultural holdings, Ukraine has been an export leader of fruits to Ethiopia since 2020, surpassing even the countries mentioned above. In 2022 Ukraine is the only country that supplies apples to Ethiopia, closing the season with a total supply of 21 tons of apples.
