January 17 2007, 11:54

Garlic production can significantly grow in Ukraine

According to the evaluations done by the experts of "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" journal, garlic production can significantly grow in Ukraine in 2007. This fact is proven by a significant growth of the interest to this crop both among the professional producers and the private entrepreneurs and private farms which grow vegetables and fruits on relatively small acreage up to 5 ha.

The "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" journal mentioned more than once that Ukrainian market has been suffering from a severe deficit for garlic for several years already. This problem is especially serious for the canneries which can not use Chinese garlic for their purposes at all. At the same time, a rather great quantity of garlic of Chinese origin is sold on the fresh market. At the present moment the wholesale price for garlic fluctuates $1.37/kg to $1.96/kg in Kyiv. So, the price for this commodity increased 10-15% comparing to the previous year. The wholesale prices for garlic reached $3.52-3.92/kg in May 2006.

Garlic production grows by a rather fast rate in the world. For example, in England garlic sales have increased almost one third in the supermarkets after information was presented in a popular TV program about the garlic as a natural tool to decrease the cholesterin level in blood and a natural aphrodisiac. Garlic is also a traditional foodstuff in Ukraine.

According to our information, the implementation of at once several large garlic projects is planned in 2007. Thus the tension can be somewhat relieved and the prices can be stabilized on this market. Nevertheless, even if we take into account the possible production growth, garlic production will still be one of the most profitable niches of the produce business of Ukraine, according to the analysts' evaluations