Economic Aspects in the Raspberry Production on the Example of Farms from Poland, Serbia and Ukraine

For many years Poland and Serbia have played the dominating roles in European raspberry production. However, the growing production in Ukraine might threaten the relative stability of the raspberry market for both countries. It is projected that in the coming years Ukraine will strengthen its competitive position in relation to the current industrial raspberry production leaders. This justifies the need to conduct comparative analyses of competitive power, and its contributory factors, including production costs in individual countries. The aim of this study was to compare economic viability and cost-effectiveness in raspberry production, using the examples of selected horticultural holdings in Poland, Serbia, and Ukraine. The production volumes of raspberries in Poland, Serbia and Ukraine were analysed. The levels of costs and the financial results generated in raspberry cultivation for processing purposes were also determined, using the example of horticultural holdings in this countries. The results indicated that the direct costs in Ukraine, were just over half lower those in Poland and Serbia. The raspberry crop yields in the three investigated countries were similar, and the sales prices in the analysed years made it possible to obtain a surplus of receipts over direct costs