This review will cover sour cherries, currants, apricots, blackberries, chokeberries, and elderberries.
Yulia Tymoshenko, Head of the Frozen Fruit Production Project “Tiferet” (Moldova), highlights a notable trend: the search for alternative fruits and berries in the frozen produce sector. This shift reflects how consumers adjust to price fluctuations, opting for cheaper substitutes in recipes.
Frozen sweet cherries are in high demand in the EU due to a shortage of sour cherries. They’re fetching between €2.05 to €2.20 per kg for first-class quality, with unpitted varieties also seeing increased interest.
This season, blackcurrants are scarce, with Poland, a key supplier, now difficult to source from. Prices are around €2.50 per kg, and buyers might consider Central Asian jostaberries. The high cost of blackcurrants has also increased wild blueberry prices, now exceeding €3 per kg.
Apricots:
Frozen apricots in Europe are currently unaffected, dominated by supplies from Turkey and China. Their competitive prices have discouraged EU and Eastern European freezers from purchasing fresh apricots. Additionally, Eastern Europe has seen a good apricot harvest.
Blackberries:
In contrast to shortages and high prices for other berries like raspberries, blackcurrants, sour cherries, and wild blueberries, there is surprisingly little interest in frozen blackberries. Both demand and supply for this berry in frozen form are low, making it challenging to establish price levels.
