November 16 2010, 10:17 Fruit-Inform

Prime cost of potatoes increasing, demand keeping on decreasing in Ukraine

Market participants think the first signs of shortage to become apparent already in the second half of winter.

According to Fruit-Inform, as of today, potato market is lull. Sales are conducted extremely weakly, though a number of farmers wanting to sell the most part of yield is growing every day. Prices for potatoes are currently fixing at UAH 3.50-4.50/kg (EUR 0.32-0.42/kg), though it is very difficult to sell potatoes of even high quality at higher than UAH 4.00/kg (EUR 0.37/kg).

The main reason of producers hurrying to sell their produce is warm weather resulting in potatoes beginning to sprout quickly. The most sharply this problem is faced by owners of unequipped storehouses, who are the majority among Ukrainian farmers. Trying to preserve quality of produce, farmers regularly sort potatoes out clearing tubers from sprouts. This further increases a prime cost of potatoes, while demand for them is already below the average.

The situation in storehouses with ventilation and temperature control is rather problem-free. As to producers, quality of produce is not suffering, so they do not hurry to sell it. Many are going to start sales in the early spring.

Detailed forecast of production and prices for potatoes and other fruit and vegetable categories for the second half of the season and the following year will be presented by Andriy Yarmak, Head of Project Fruit-Inform, during the first day of the seventh international conference “Vegetables and Fruit of Ukraine-2010”.On-line registration for participation in the conference is accessible through this link. Applications are accepted till November 23 inclusive.