As of August 4, commercial production of berries in Russia amounted to 10.8 thousand tonnes, which was 35% more than in the same period of 2019 (8 kt), announced the Ministry of agriculture. Leading regions in terms of gross collection, according to approvedate became the Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Altai Krai, Orel, Moscow, Lipetsk oblast and Krasnodar Krai.

However, analysts believe that, in General, the crop of marketable berries this year will be lower than in the past. So, according to the company "Technology of Growth", the production will amount to 18 thousand tons against 18.7 thousand tons a year earlier. "Southern suburbs severely affected due to the return of frost and hail, so the gross yield of strawberries in the Krasnodar region decreased compared to the previous year. But the Moscow region, on the contrary, gathered a good harvest," — commented,"the Agroinvestor" the CEO of the company Tamara Reshetnikova.

According to the forecast Berries Union, the harvest of berries this year will be about 20% lower than in 2019, although some farms that put the new plantations under harvest 2020 may increase production. This year the berry fields in all southern regions not only suffered from the frost, the General Director of the Union Irina Koziy. "The rains in early summer has led to significant crop losses from various diseases, because in our country there are almost no approved for use on berry crops protection from rot and fungal diseases, she says. — Simultaneously because of the restrictions imposed during coronaries, most berry producers are faced with a shortage of pickers, as in Russia were not able to enter seasonal workers from neighbouring countries. Many farms have experienced difficulties with sale and transportation of products, therefore not all the yield is able to collect and put on the market". Goat says that the final harvest will only be done closer to winter, after picking berries in all regions.

The "not affected" by the berries this season are likely to be sea-buckthorn berries and blueberries, says Goat. "Harvest blueberries may even increase, as the area of cultivation of this new for our country the berries are expanded very rapidly, — she said. — However, the proportion of blueberry in the total volume of harvest is still negligible and the totals for the industry is almost no impact".

Prices on berries since the beginning of the season was changed several times, but in General they are somewhat higher than in the same periods a year earlier, according to Berry Union. Although there were exceptions. "In late may — early June in the farms of the southern regions due to problems with sales there has been some failure of wholesale prices — producers who could not sell the berry on the open market, dumped products to middlemen at low cost, says Goat. — In late June — early July because of the refusal of the city hall in berry opening of specialized retail outlets in Moscow producers of the Moscow region and neighbouring regions also had to sell products through intermediaries at lower prices than in 2019". The berries fell to the outlets through a third party, and each intermediary in the chain of sales has made its mark-up, respectively, end buyers from a lower price product sales farms did not win in the outlets of the Russian berry, in the main, been more than a year earlier, said the Goat.

Now the prices for berries are the lowest in the season, respectively, and the high demand for them, says Reshetnikov. With the second half of July the market is very large selection of berries on the shelves except strawberries appeared raspberry, currant, gooseberry. "However, it is noteworthy that in retail in the Moscow region there is a significant range of prices. For example, blueberry is now possible to buy for 400 rbl./kg, and 800 rubles/kg", — she compares. According to the forecast Reshetnikova, low prices for berries will last for a maximum period of two weeks until the gathering, and then will rise sharply and return to its normal level.