Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
Ukraine: consumption of imported potato chips and snacks up
Ukraine's imports of potato chips and snacks were record high in 2013. According to State Statistics Service of Ukraine, imports in January-November 2013 totaled 7,800 tons, an increase of 42% compared with the same period of the previous season and 30% up compared with imports in the whole year 2012.
Fruit-Inform experts connect such a trend with growing consumption of snacks in Ukraine together with relatively low competition among domestic manufacturers. Kraft Foods Ukraine remains practically the only large manufacturer of chips in the country with plans to manufacture about 13,500 tons of snacks in 2013 thanks to extension of Vyshgorod factory capacities.
Simultaneously with an increase in imports, Ukraine keeps on raising exports of potato chips and snacks. Fruit-Inform analysts expect the foreign trade balance of those products to remain positive in 2013.
An increase in imports from Russia was one of the most interesting trends in the Ukrainian market in 2013. Russia's exports to Ukraine were 12 times of the export volumes in the previous season. Ukraine's imports of Polish chips and snacks were relatively stable and remained higher than the import volumes of Russian ones.
Processing of potatoes are still one of the key problems faced by Ukrainian potato growers. For the present, the percentage of potatoes utilized for processing is extremely small in Ukraine leading to significant price fluctuations in the potato market. In particular, current wholesale prices of potatoes are averagely 5-6 times of those registered a year before. On the other hand, prices did not cover production and storage costs in the previous 2 seasons.
We would remind you that more detailed information about the current state and future developments in the Ukrainian and Russian market for potatoes and vegetables will be presented at the 6th International Conference “Potatoes & Vegetables of Ukraine-2014”, which will be held on February 20, 2014, President Hotel, Kiev, Ukraine.
Would you have any questions regarding the event, please contact International Relations Department of Fruit-Inform:
Mr Ievgen Kuzin
tel: +380 (562) 321595, ext. - 341 (Ukraine)
cell: +380 96 5836323
email: [email protected]