Ukraine's fruit and berry market development under digital marketing transformation: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyse the current state of Ukraine's fruit and berry market and to substantiate the directions of its development in the context of the digitalisation of marketing instruments. The research examines how structural production dynamics, wartime constraints and the growing adoption of digital tools collectively reshape the competitive logic of the sector, with particular attention to the role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and processing businesses.

The study employs a combination of analytical and descriptive methods, including structural analysis of production statistics, comparative assessment of key crop dynamics over the 2019–2023 period, and systematic generalisation of industry reports, academic literature and international analytical sources. Data from KSE Agrocenter, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, Eurostat, OECD and peer-reviewed journals form the empirical foundation of the research.

The analysis reveals that Ukraine's fruit and berry market has maintained its structural core despite wartime disruption, with total production declining by approximately 5.8% between 2019 and 2023 -from 2,118.9 thousand tonnes to 1,995.9 thousand tonnes. Apples demonstrated relative resilience with a slight output increase of 1.6%, while walnuts, plums, pears and sour cherries experienced more pronounced contractions of up to 15.7%. A critical structural characteristic is the dominant share of households -80.2% of production in 2023 -which limits standardisation, lot aggregation and systematic market communication. The research identifies five key directions of digital marketing integration suited to the sector: social media and social commerce, marketplaces and e-commerce, B2B digital catalogues, CRM and customer analytics, and digital traceability. Processed fruit and berry products -frozen berries, juices, jams, dried and freeze-dried goods - are shown to be most compatible with e-commerce channels and export B2B promotion, as they overcome the logistical constraints inherent in fresh product distribution.

Conclusions. The development of Ukraine's fruit and berry market depends not on the mechanical expansion of cultivated areas but on the improved organisation of the value chain, the deepening of processing, and the systematic adoption of digital marketing tools. For SMEs, the most effective approach involves integrated digital systems rather than isolated promotional campaigns: combining social media presence, a website or marketplace listing, CRM, content and analytics into a coherent commercial infrastructure. For exporters, B2B catalogues, English-language communication, technical specifications and digital traceability are identified as priority tools. At the policy level, support for digital literacy, cooperative development, accessible financing for cold storage and processing equipment, and stimulation of digital sales platforms are recommended as conditions enabling the sector's transition from a raw-material and seasonal model toward value-added products with stable sales and competitive export positioning.