Ukraine joins world's top three buyers of Turkish tomatoes

Ukraine is among the world's top three buyers of tomatoes from Turkey, having purchased the vegetables worth US$30 million in 2019.

Read alsoUkraine boosts farm produce exports to EU by over 34% in Jan-July

"The top three importers of Turkish tomatoes, along with Russia, are also Romania (purchases worth US$36 million) and Ukraine (about US$30 million)," the East Fruit analytical platform's press service said on January 30, referring to a report by the Southeast Anatolia Exporters Association.

Russia topped the ranking, having imported Turkish tomatoes worth more than US$86 million.

Turkey is in the lead in terms of supplies of greenhouse cucumbers and tomatoes to Ukraine in winter. In particular, Turkish suppliers account for up to 80% of all vegetables Ukraine buys abroad.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine boosted tomato imports by 15% in the first half of 2019 to a record high 55,000 tonnes, according to the Ukrainian Horticultural Association.

Prices of vegetables from Ukraine's borsch kit almost doubled in 2018, to UAH 56.6 (US$2.27). In total, Ukraine harvested 9.4 million tonnes of vegetables in 2018.