16−19 September 2025
Moscow, Crocus Expo, Pavillion 3
Quality Vs. Price At The Fresh Fruit And Vegetable Market
Published on: Apr 15, 2025
Reading Time: 5 min
Despite rising prices for fresh fruits and vegetables, Russians are willing to pay more, but only for high-quality products
By the end of 2024, inflation in Russia accelerated to 9.5%, while in 2023 it reached 7.4%. At the same time, food prices are growing at a rate that outpaces the overall inflation rate in the country. In 2023, the average increase in food prices was 8.16%, and by the end of last year - 11%.
Vegetables and fruits were among the categories that increased in price the most. In 2024, prices for fresh fruits and vegetables increased by 22.1%, and this year the growth has continued. According to AB-Center calculations, in January-February 2025, the price increase in the category of vegetables and fruits affected potatoes, onions, white cabbage, mushrooms, and beets the most. Apples, garlic, cucumbers, greens, oranges, and lemons were also among the products that demonstrated price growth above the inflation rate. Price strengthening below the inflation rate was observed among such vegetables, fruits, and berries as carrots, pears, tomatoes, grapes, and bananas.
The rise in prices for fruits and vegetables is related to changes in agriculture, weather conditions, logistical problems and costs of transportation, equipment and labor, rising prices for energy, fertilizers and feed. According to Georgy Ostapkovich, Director of the Center for Market Research at the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, for example, vegetables will continue to rise in price due to the replacement of foreign seeds with domestic ones, the efficiency of which is 2 times lower. Accordingly, to get the same harvest, you need 2 times more sowing area, which means even more equipment, people and fuel. A stable harvest, improved agronomic technologies and expanded production scales can moderate the rise in prices for fresh products, according to Leonid Kholod, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of Russia.
Despite the fact that price is one of the key factors for consumers when buying, according to a study by the NAFI Analytical Center, 59% of Russians, when choosing food products, buy what is better quality, even if it is more expensive. Over the past two years, satisfaction with the quality of fruits among Russians has decreased by 4% - from 74% to 70%. At the same time, the number of consumers dissatisfied with the quality of fruits has increased by 2%: 23% in 2023 and 25% in 2024. As for vegetables, the opposite trend is observed here. Although not much, the share of those satisfied with the quality of fresh vegetables increased by 1% from 75% to 76%, and the share of dissatisfied decreased by 3% from 23% to 20%.
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In this regard, retailers, wholesalers and catering representatives will be looking for suppliers who can satisfy the growing demand of Russians for fresh high-quality fruits and vegetables. The International Autumn Food Exhibition WorldFood Moscow will also be a venue for this search. The Fruits and Vegetables section is one of the most popular at WorldFood Moscow. Of the 22,554 people who visited the exhibition in 2024, 21% were interested in the products presented in this section.
The Fruits and Vegetables section is not represented in such a volume as at WorldFood Moscow at any other exhibition in Russia. Participants of the section demonstrate fresh, processed and frozen vegetables, fruits, berries, mushrooms, greens, salads and other plant products.
By becoming a participant in the Fruits and Vegetables section at the WorldFood Moscow exhibition, you:
// negotiate with wholesale and retail trade specialists and representatives of catering establishments who are interested in the supply of fresh fruits and vegetables;
// negotiate deliveries to different Russian regions and even countries, since the exhibition is visited by specialists from 80+ regions of Russia and 70+ countries;
// sign new contracts for the supply of your products, because 51% of WorldFood Moscow visitors are ready to make a purchase following the exhibition.