According to EastFruit analysts, in the first half of 2023 Ukrainian farmers managed export record volumes of fresh potatoes, despite Russian aggression against Ukraine. Yet, these records have bitter aftertaste and indicate serious problems for the sustainability of this industry.
Exports of commercial potatoes from Ukraine in the first half of 2023 amounted to 19.8 thousand tons – an absolute record, according to the analysts. The last time Ukraine exported more than 10 thousand tons of potatoes in the first half of the year was 10 years ago, i.e. in 2013, when exports amounted to 14.7 thousand tons.
In addition, potato exports in the first six months of 2023 were 2.3 times higher than in 2022 for the same period and 3.8 times higher than the average over the past five years.
Only US $0.16 dollars per kg was the wholesale price of potatoes at the end of March 2023 in Ukraine. For any farmer who has ever grown potatoes, it is obvious that such a low price cannot possibly cover the costs of growing and even the costs of high-quality seed material.
The second bad news is that 91% of the record volume of potato exports from Ukraine went to one country – Moldova. Why? The answer is low quality, according to the EastFruit analysts.
Source: EastFruit. Read the full story here
Photo: Credit EastFruit
