By the end of 2025, Ukraine confirmed its status as the world's largest exporter of frozen raspberries, and in the 2026 season the key development vector for the fruit and vegetable sector, amid stagnating domestic consumption, will remain expansion of export activity, said Taras Bashtannyk, president of the Ukrainian Horticultural Association (UHA).

"For two consecutive years we have been the world's largest exporters of raspberries. It is expected that by the end of the 2025 season export volumes will reach about 80,000 tonnes, compared with 65,000 tonnes a year earlier. Growth potential remains," he said during the Profitable Agribusiness 2026 conference.

According to the expert, a similar trend is observed in the blueberry segment, where production is growing annually by 15-20%. Bashtannyk said that the domestic blueberry market has reached a consumption "ceiling" of about 10,000 tonnes, meaning further industry development is possible only through exports. Ukraine currently exports about 8,000-10,000 tonnes of this berry, while global leaders such as Chile and Peru supply up to 400,000 tonnes to foreign markets, indicating significant room for replacing competitors in the global market.

Detailing forecasts for the 2026 season, the UHA president stressed that cheap vegetables and fruits should not be expected. He expressed confidence that the world has entered a phase where opportunities to produce goods with low cost have been exhausted, while Ukraine remains competitive only due to lower costs compared with EU countries.

High profitability of certain crops in previous years [sometimes up to 700% above cost price] is prompting farmers to sharply expand acreage without proper analysis. Bashtannyk recalled that this already led to a price slump for traditional borscht-set vegetables in 2025. However, in the new season, the risk of overproduction of carrots or beets will remain and will depend on the timing of the spring sowing campaign.

According to the expert, the key constraint on the development of the fruit and vegetable sector will be a shortage of both skilled and unskilled labor. As a result, the industry will face the need either for full-scale mechanization or even for attracting foreign labor.

Bashtannyk predicts that fruit and vegetable producers in the 2026 season will traditionally face problems caused by extreme weather conditions – from droughts to abnormal downpours. This will require agricultural producers to increase investment in irrigation and protection systems.

Amid expensive and lengthy logistics, particularly to Middle Eastern markets, the success of the season will depend not on the volume of the harvested crop but on the ability to sell it on foreign markets.

"The issue of overproduction is not about how much we harvest, but about whether we are able to sell it. If we perform well in export markets, everything will be fine. Ukraine has an advantage in the diversity of soil and climate zones, and if varieties are chosen correctly, investment can be made in any crop, from pears to Jerusalem artichokes," the UHA president concluded.