Ukraine: Quality Potato Prices Could Hit UAH 15–20 per Kilo by February
Ukraine faces a winter shortage of quality potatoes, and prices for well-presented ware potatoes could climb to UAH 15–20/kg by February, according to a forecast by Ihor Shkurko, director of PJSC NVO Chernihivelitkartoplia, in a column for AgroTimes carried by EastFruit. Import options for filling the gap look limited, and UkrAgroConsult and Tridge report the same assessment.
The reason imports are unlikely to ride to the rescue is on the other side of the border. Shkurko puts the European potato harvest about 30% lower, describing it as the worst crop in three decades. European buyers have already contracted significant volumes of Egyptian potatoes, with harvesting there due to start in December, leaving little spare volume for Ukrainian importers. High price levels in Europe, a shortage of truck drivers, logistics bottlenecks and rising fuel costs further reduce the economic case for bringing potatoes in.
The domestic market already shows a wide gap between grades. Misshapen and substandard tubers are selling at UAH 3–6/kg, while quality produce fetches UAH 8–9/kg — but supplies of good potatoes are already tight, Shkurko says. That spread is set to widen further as the season progresses and storage volumes dictate what remains available.
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Quality problems complicate the picture. Dry rot has spread through parts of the harvested crop, the share of small tubers is high, and growers face an acute shortage of workers for sorting and preparing produce for sale. Daily pay for sorting has reached UAH 800–1,000, adding to production costs.
The winners, in Shkurko’s view, will be farms with modern storage facilities that can hold marketable potatoes in good condition until the winter months. His own company is among those still investing: Chernihivelitkartoplia grows potatoes on up to 300 hectares and offers the varieties Riviera, Anna Rosa, Alouette and Innovator, alongside its seed potato work.
The forecast contrasts with the start of the harvest campaign, when heavy market supply held prices at UAH 10–13/kg across the country. Where prices actually land in February will depend on how much quality stock remains in storage and whether any import window opens during the winter.
Sources: EastFruit; UkrAgroConsult; Tridge.
