There is a catastrophic lack of potato storage facilities in Ukraine, — Samoilichenko
13 November 10:00
EXCLUSIVE
Every year, a significant portion of Ukraine’s potato harvest spoils due to the lack of proper storage conditions. It is the lack of potato storage facilities that forces Ukraine to import table potatoes from the European Union. Olga Samoilichenko, executive director of the Ukrainian Association of Potato Producers, said this in an interview with the "Komersant Ukrainian" YouTube channel.
“We have potatoes that have been grown and not put into storage. It is temporarily stored in places that are not quite suitable for this. Most of it is spoiled, sorted and thrown away. Because there is a catastrophic shortage of potato storage facilities in Ukraine,” Samoilichenko said.
Because of this, the expert explains, Ukraine is forced to import table potatoes from the EU every year, despite its own significant harvests.
“Because Ukraine lacks potato storage facilities, we import table potatoes from the EU every year,” she said.
“The problem with the lack of storage facilities is not new – it existed long before the full-scale war and remains one of the main constraints on the development of potato growing.
Samoilichenko emphasized that professional potato growing needs modern storage systems, as the industry will not be able to develop without them.
Professional potato growing, high-quality potatoes, is a market for potato processing. These are the same French fries, the production of which is only now being established in Ukraine, and the first works in this direction are underway. These are chips, this is starch, but any processing requires potato storage,” she summarized.
Read us on Telegram: important topics – without censorship
