This year, farmers in Moldova and Ukraine have harvested a record potato crop, which has been the main factor in reducing prices for this product to the lowest level in the last three years. Due to the surplus supply, agrarians in both countries are actively storing potatoes, hoping to sell them at higher prices during the cold season.
This is reported by Finway
Increase in Potato Areas and Yields in Ukraine
The Ukrainian Potato Producers Association notes that this year the area under the crop has increased by approximately 20%. The expansion has mainly occurred due to medium and large farms that decided to take advantage of the situation following last year’s high prices. In addition, potato yields are significantly better than last year: some producers report increases of up to 30%. However, only half of the total area under this crop has been harvested so far.
Currently, prices in wholesale markets remain stable. In Lviv, potatoes are offered at ₴12.5 per kilogram, while in Kyiv, they range from ₴12 to ₴15 per kilogram. For comparison, in September of last year, prices were approximately at the same level.
Potato Imports and Storage Issues
At the same time, Ukraine has started importing potatoes from abroad, particularly from Poland, where prices are even lower than on the domestic market. This trend may intensify in winter, as Ukraine still faces a severe shortage of modern storage facilities for vegetables.
Farmers are storing significant volumes of product in hopes of price increases during the cold season.