Avocado costs less than Belarus-grown spring onion
It turned out that supermarkets buy spring onion from the greenhouse at a high cost already: Br 17,600 ($7-8) per kilogram, according to a commodity manager at the Chkalauski supermarket.
“Spring onion is supplied by the greenhouse complex and the Minsk vegetables factory. They set their price, while we add up our percentage. Eventually, we offer it for Br 22,880, including our profit margin…”
Why do suppliers offer such an expensive onion? The European Radio for Belarus called through to the greenhouse industrial complex. The staff complained about bad weather and low profits. They were apparently reluctant to talk about it.
“In winter, our cucumbers cost Br 6,000, while imported ones were sold for Br 10,000… Why didn’t you answer your question back then? We have to take the weather into account; and we calculate profitability. The highest profit margin we can get amounts to 10 percent. Do you think it is normal? I don’t think that your company’s profitability stands at 10 percent”.
The greenhouse management said that they had to spend a lot to illuminate onions, because there was no sunny days this year. If there is a lot sun in the summer, they could possibly sell their onions cheap.
“Prices may vary. In summer it can cost as low as Br 500 per bunch, so we will have to work in the red. Everything depends on the weather. This year we had maybe one sunny day out 365”.
While greenhouse giants wait for summer and the sun to come out, a bunch of spring onion leaves can be bought for Br 1000 at market places.
“We sell it for Br 4000-5000 per kilogram, because it comes from private households”, said managers at the Kamarouski market place in central Minsk.
Despite huge differences in prices, spring onion doesn’t get stuck in supermarkets.
“People buy. I order an average of 5-10 kg daily. Almost everything is sold out. It depends on the day of the week… On Mondays we sell more, because market places are closed on this day. In principle, we have no problems. Of course, it is cheaper at market places, but what can we do?”
Perhaps, consumers simply are not aware that they can buy spring onion just for Br 4000 at a market place. The staff at Sosedi supermarket (next to Kamarouski market place) does not know either, because prices at the supermarket are set at Br 23,000 for one kilogram of spring onion.
“Is spring onion sold at Br 4000 per kilo? I will never believe it. No”.
It is interesting that only the Dutch pepper outruns the Belarus-grown onion in terms of costs. All the rest, including exotic fruits, costs less.
Bananas: Br 3450/kg; oranges: Br 4540; mandarins: 6890; pineapples: 8030; mango: 14860; avocado: 18430; pepper (Holland): 23790.
Perhaps, should we import onions from sunny countries, too? At least, it would then cost as one kilogram of avocado...
