Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
Potato and vegetable harvest increased in Russia
According to the Russian official statistics, this country increased 3% potato production in 2005 up to 14 mln. tons. As before, more than 90% of potato and 80% of vegetables are still produced by the common population on the houseplots, but the share of agricultural enterprises in the production structure is extending.
So, Russia is one of a few European countries where potato production increased this year. As it has been reported before by "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" weekly, potato production went down in Ukraine and in the majority of the EU countries, so that the prices started to grow intensively. In Ukraine, according to the data of the official statistics, potato production decreased only 7%; at the same time, the analysts of "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" weekly consider potato harvest to be 20-25% less than in 2004. This opinion can be indirectly confirmed by the fact that wholesale potato prices jumped more than thrice comparing to the previous year.
It is interesting that despite of the potato production decrease in Ukraine and opposite situation in Russia Ukraine is still producing 30% more potato per one inhabitant than Russia. According to the data of the official statistics, vegetable production in Ukraine grew 5% up to 6.8 mln. tons that is 51% less than in Russia. At the same time vegetable production per one inhabitant in Ukraine exceeded 43% this figure in Russia.
"Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" weekly reported earlier that potato from Russia was imported to the Ukrainian market. The latest data of the official statistics actually confirm such possibility; still according to our assessments such supplies are not stable. At the same time, taking into account vegetable and potato production per one inhabitant, Ukraine has a possibility to increase export of fresh and processed produce as soon as next season. Supplies of early and super-early potato to Russia also provide a good business opportunity.