Expert tells whether there will be a potato shortage this winter
13 November 18:01
EXCLUSIVE
There will be no shortage of potatoes this winter. Instead, the price of Ukrainian potatoes will be determined in the near future by the situation on the European market, which is currently experiencing overproduction and record low prices. As a result, imports of cheaper European potatoes may increase on the domestic market of Ukraine. This was stated by Olga Samoilichenko, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Association of Potato Producers, in an interview with the YouTube channel "Komersant Ukrainian".
“There will be no shortage of potatoes. But the price of Ukrainian potatoes largely depends on the price of European potatoes. We always correlate with European prices. Currently, there is an overproduction of potatoes in Europe. The price is minimal, it is lower than the price in Ukraine,” Samoilichenko explained.
She added that European prices are currently 3 to 5 hryvnias per kilogram lower than Ukrainian prices, so domestic farmers have to compete with imports.
“European prices for which a producer sells potatoes are already at least 3-4-5 hryvnias lower than Ukrainian prices,” she said.
At the same time, Ukrainian consumers traditionally prefer domestic potatoes.
Ukrainians will buy Ukrainian potatoes at the market. But we need to understand what Ukrainian potatoes are. Ukraine grows potatoes of Ukrainian or foreign varieties.
Potatoes grown by Ukrainian producers on domestic lands remain a priority for consumers, regardless of whether the variety is of Ukrainian or foreign selection,” she added.
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