Ukrainian garlic on the verge of extinction: Chinese imports have captured 80% of the market
7 March 16:09
Domestic garlic is rapidly losing ground in the domestic market.
This is reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to EastFruit.
According to Yulianna Mussa, president of the Ukrainian Garlic Producers Association, the share of Ukrainian products has fallen to 20%, while imports from China account for 80%.
The main reason is economic inefficiency. While the world price for garlic remains unchanged, the cost of growing it in Ukraine is increasing every year. For the average buyer, the key factor remains low cost, not the country of origin.
“If the situation with global production does not change, the industry may disappear altogether, and this applies not only to Ukraine but to the entire European continent. This has already happened in some countries. The Dutch, Spanish, Italians, Croats, and Romanians are very concerned about this forecast. Producers say that the cost price has equaled the selling price, but thanks to government support programs, they can remain on supermarket shelves at market prices. If they do not do so, they will lose their place on the shelves forever. And then Chinese garlic will flood the whole world,” adds Julianna Mussa.
According to the expert’s forecasts, a global surplus of production is expected in 2026.
“The math is very simple: if one country consistently consumes 1,000 tons per year, and China’s production reaches 30,000 tons, Egypt, India, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and the United States will increase their acreage by 5-15% each year, but consumption will not increase. Therefore, it is important for Ukrainians to consume domestically produced garlic. This will help to keep the industry at least at the level it is at today,” concludes Yulianna Mussa.
