According to ProAgro data, in terms of the consumption volumes and geographic spread, potatoes take one of the leading places in the structure of food products in Ukraine. Thus, in terms of the level of potatoes consumption per capita, Ukraine takes the third place in the world after Belarus and Kyrgyzstan. In 2008, one Ukrainian citizen on average consumed 131.8 kg potatoes per year, or 360 g potatoes per day, whereas the norm is 123 kg per year. In other words, the real level of potatoes consumption is 7% higher than the norm.
Potatoes in Ukraine are grown mainly in the Polissia and the Forest-Steppe zones, which have the most favorable conditions for cultivation of this crop. Kyiv and Chernihiv regions at present are the leaders both in terms of the volumes of produced potatoes and in terms of the number of agricultural enterprises specializing in potatoes growing.
For the purposes of potatoes growing, the properly selected variety is very important. When the variety selection is successful, the gross yield can be increased by 20%. According to the catalog of plant varieties suitable for distribution in Ukraine, there are 119 different varieties. About one half of them (51.3%) may be grown in all weather and climate zones of Ukraine.
Since Ukrainian potatoes have a low competitive power in the world market, their export is not developed; seed potatoes are mainly imported. The leading suppliers of seeds are the Netherlands (52%), Germany (21.4%) and Poland (16.2%).
In 2008, areas sown with potatoes in Ukraine totaled 1, 413, 000 ha, which is 2.8% less than in 2007. Since early 2000, the sown areas have decreased by 216, 000 ha, or by 13.3%.
This situation is primarily explained by the decrease of profitability of potatoes growing at agricultural enterprises, which have to compete with private households producing the bulk of potatoes in our country. Thus, annually sown areas shrink by 1.8% on average. At the same time, production of chips potatoes and potatoes for HoReCa is growing.
You can obtain more detailed information on all aspects of Ukrainian potatoes market getting acquainted with the research by ProAgro Company “Ukraine: Potato Market”.
