Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
Ukraine exports 120 times less vegetables than Poland
In 2004 Poland exported 439,500 tons of fresh and cooled vegetables but potato (External Economic Activity codes 07020-0709) worth $ 266 mln., or 4% of total export. This information can be found on the Polish official site of the Ministry of Statistics. The largest volumes of Polish vegetables (68,500 tons) were supplied to Russia. The other huge importers were Germany (53,200 tons), Netherlands (53,900 tons), Czech Republic (53,100 tons), Great Britain (35,300 tons), Slovakia (34,400 tons), Romania (31,000 tons). It is interesting to know that, according to the official Polish statistics, in 2004 Ukraine did not imported vegetables from Poland at all.
In 2004 Poland imported 192,900 tons of vegetables worth $ 128.3 mln. Poland exports twice more vegetables than imports (in money equivalent).
In 2004, according to the data of the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine, our country exported vegetables but potato (External Economic Activity codes 07020-0709) worth about $ 2.2 mln. that is 25% more than in 2003, but still is only 0,007% of the total export. Ukrainian vegetable export is 120(!) times less than Polish; however the territory of Poland is twice smaller than Ukraine, and 10 mln. more people live in our country. In 2004 the main vegetable importers from Ukraine were Belarus (3,200 tons), Russia (800 tons), and Latvia (1,200 tons). Vegetable import to Ukraine was $ 691,000 in 2004.
These figures confirm the significant potential of Ukraine to increase produce export, especially to the EU countries. The detailed analysis of export possibilities will be done by the speakers on the second international conference "Fruits and Vegetables of Ukraine 2005" to be held this December in Kyiv. Both the representatives of Ukrainian companies with large experience in vegetable export, and well-known international experts will speak about exporting potential of Ukraine.