According to EastFruit, the Ukrainian company “Sady Dnipra” has for the first time exported fresh pears to the Middle East, specifically to the premium market in Saudi Arabia. This is a significant milestone for Ukrainian fruit growing, as Ukraine has traditionally been a net importer of fresh pears. The shipment was sent by sea through Ukrainian ports amid ongoing Russian aggression.
“In Ukraine, pear production is rapidly increasing, although this is not yet widely visible because many young orchards have been planted and are not yet fully productive. Since domestic pear consumption is not growing, prices on the Ukrainian market will decline. Even though domestic prices are often higher than foreign markets, our company decided to explore international markets now to work out logistics and position Ukraine as an exporter of high-quality pears in premium markets,” said Oleksandr Pakhno, head of Sady Dnipra (brand UApple).
The company is known for its innovation in cultivation, storage, post-harvest processing, and marketing. Sady Dnipra began growing pears a few years ago: in 2020, it planted a new orchard with the Noyabrskaya and Williams varieties, and in 2021, a 30-hectare pear orchard was established, gradually expanding production.
“We always take a strategic approach to planning. We decided not to wait until the Ukrainian pear market becomes oversaturated but to act proactively. This helps mitigate potential price shocks for ourselves and other Ukrainian fruit growers who have not yet addressed this issue,” added Pakhno.
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Although the company could currently earn more with less effort by selling domestically, it chose to study logistics, packaging, quality, and transport in advance to diversify export markets, as it has successfully done with apples.
“Another important aspect: Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries are used to pear varieties from South Africa. Our varieties are not yet well-known there, nor are Ukrainian suppliers. We went through this with our apples, which now have a strong reputation there. By analogy, we are now creating a market for Ukrainian suppliers in the Middle East,” Pakhno noted.
He added that the Middle Eastern market is more attractive for Ukrainian exporters than the EU market, where competition from Belgium, the Netherlands, and, in the future, Portugal is high. Ukrainian pears, with their high Brix levels, are ideally suited for the Middle East and potentially for premium markets in Asia.
Sady Dnipra is one of Ukraine’s leading apple-growing and export companies, officially operating since 2016 and consistently meeting international standards. The company is known for high product quality and the implementation of innovative technological solutions.
