June 8 2006, 15:29

Large potato producers plan this year to increase thrice potato stocks left in storages

The survey of potato production was published past week in "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" journal; its authors wrote that almost one quarter of harvested marketable potato was put in storages past year by large potato producers. This season the producers plan to extend storage volumes up to 33.1%. The producers from Forest-Steppe zone plan to do it by the highest rates. Steppe zone producers tend to increase production volumes for early potato. Respectively, the volumes of stored potato stocks will decrease this season in that region.

57.8% of large producers stored potato in 2005; this season the number can grow up to 64.4%.

Potato storage is considered to be a profitable business, as the prices for this commodity are almost always low during harvesting period and after that they are gradually increasing. However, it is very important to timely fix the increased price. For example, in 2006 the price for past year potato dynamically decreased starting from March till the entrance of early potato to market. After that moment the demand for "old" potato typically reduces to minimum.

The producers store majority of harvested potato, about 70%, in specially equipped storages without forced ventilation and controlled atmosphere. An insignificant part (11% in Polissya and 8% in Forest-Steppe climatic zones) of potato harvest is stored by the easiest and the cheapest method - in primitive clamps or trenches. And only 26.3% of harvest is stored in modern storages with forced ventilation and controlled atmosphere (in Forest-Steppe and Steppe zones these indices are 45.8% and 41.4% respectively). Talking about the equipment for modern storages, it is much diversified. Each producer chooses equipment depending from his preferences and available financial resources.

Only large farms were surveyed which usually have more capacities to store potato. Taking into account small farms, the percentage of potato stored in specialized storages with controlled atmosphere will significantly decrease. That's why Ukraine records such great potato losses during storage period.