November 26 2008, 10:11

Ukraine: structure of Ukrainian potato market to change

According to monitoring data of Fruit-Inform project, new trends are observed on the potato market during the current season. Particularly, earlier, main volumes of this root crop were produced in the private farms, but the current season is characterized by increase of professional producers that grow potatoes throughout 1000 ha and more. As a rule, these enterprises have own storages and equipment for post harvest handling and packing of potatoes. At that, according to the monitoring data, potato production on the homestead lands gradually decreases.

Interest of farmers in potato-growing is caused by high consumption indices of the country. According to data of State Statistics Committee, potatoes are # 1 product and practically “first bread”, as its consumption level exceeds the bread consumption level. At that, according to Julia Trautskaya, the expert of fruit and vegetable market of IA APK-Inform, consumers have high requirements to potato quality, in particularly, their preferences to color, size, form and packing.

The detailed information about the current situation and new trends of the Ukrainian potato market will be present by Yuliya Trauckaya during the Fifth International Conference "Fruits & Vegetables of Ukraine 2008".