The constant growth of tomato exports in the cold season is a trend in the Ukrainian market. At the same time, the import of tomatoes is growing rapidly, the analysts of the Ukrainian Fruit and Vegetable Association said.

According to official figures, the Ukrainian side sold 129 tons of tomatoes abroad in February 2019 and is 87% higher than the figure for the same month of 2017.

At the same time, Ukraine is actively importing tomatoes. In February, the country acquired 5 thousand tons of product investing in $ 4 million. Compared to the same month last year, imports in kind increased by 32%, in money terms - by 38%.

The situation that has arisen can be explained by the fact that at the moment in Ukraine individual enterprises are engaged in year-round tomato growing. In the cold season, they try to sell vegetables abroad, because the price of them is higher than on the domestic market. So there is a constant increase in exports of this product. The growth of tomato imports can be attributed to the active promotion by Turkey of its goods on the Ukrainian market. The Turkish side makes a special bet on tomatoes, considering this direction the most promising, says Tatyana Smirnova, chief analyst of the association.

In January and February of this year, Ukraine imported 9 thousand tons of tomatoes, which exceeds the figure for the same period in 2018 by 23%. $ 4 million was spent on their purchase, which is a quarter more than for the same period last year.