KIEV: Banana imports in Ukraine have grew by nearly 32% since 2016 with a total production of 192,000 tons that was valued at $133 million which was a 7.7% increase compared to the previous year according to Interfax-Ukraine. Ecuador led the pack supplying around 81.5% with Costa Rica and Columbia following at 10.46% and 4.74% respectively. In addition, Ukraine imported 292,000 tons of citrus fruits in 2016, up by 25.6% year-on-year. Meanwhile, the value of imports went down by 1.7% to $197 mln. These imports came mosty from Turkey (60.2%), Egypt (7.63%) and Spain (6.36%) with re-exports totaling just 57 tons.
Ukraine also imported just 28,900 tons of apples, pears and quinces, a fall of almost 51% year-on-year. The value of those imports also fell by 49.4% and totaled just $12 mln. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian exports of apples, pears and quinces amounted to almost 15,000 tons, 2.7 times as high as in 2014. The value of exports almost tripled and totaled $3 mln. As a result, the Ukrainian trade deficit amounted to almost $9 mln. Apple, pear and quince imports were registered mainly from Poland (86.67$), the Netherlands (6.46%), while the same products were exported mainly to Belarus (57.72%), Georgia (9.38%) and Lybia (8.04%). Ukraine also imported almost 30,000 tons of apricots, peaches, plums, sweet and sour cherries in 2016 valued at $19.8 mln (+3.9%), a rise of 54% year-on-yar. Ukrainian exports of stonefruits totaled just 1,900 tons, twice as high as a year before, and the value of those exports amounted to $871,000, a rise of 59.2%. The leading importer of which was Greece.
