Potatoes Photo: AgroTimes
This year, Ukrainian potato producers have faced a significant decline in harvest – up to 30%, which led to a shortage of potatoes on the market. This was reported by EastFruit.
At the same time, in the western regions, some producers managed to exceed their targets by 10%. However, in most regions of Ukraine, the potato harvest suffered due to the drought in August and September, which made it difficult for harvesting equipment to operate in the fields.
“Professional growers were able to save their crops thanks to protective technologies, while small farmers lost a significant portion due to improper use of fertilisers and lack of resources,” Samoilichenko said. She emphasised that irrigation is essential for sustainable potato production in Ukraine: even those who previously doubted the need for such systems are now considering installing them.
Also, she said, modern potato storage facilities are needed to ensure the safety and stable supply of potatoes. However, the government’s Affordable Loans 5-7-9% programme does not yet cover concessional lending for their construction, and the Potato Growers Association is working to resolve this issue.
Samoilichenko said that processing is another key condition for the development of potato growing in Ukraine. The development of this industry, in her opinion, will help stabilise prices and increase production volumes. She added that there is already a programme in place to support processors, but entrepreneurs need to have at least two years of experience to participate.
In 2020, the company approved a potato development concept for 2021-2025 with a budget of UAH 1 billion, which includes the construction of storage facilities for 300-350 thousand tonnes of potatoes.
