2011 Ukraine Potato harvest expected to set record

According to Fruit-Inform Project, Ukrainian households from all regions of the country started mass harvesting of late potato varieties which account for the major part in the Ukrainians' consumption structure. Fruit-Inform Project's analysts think of this year's potato harvest to become the record-breaking one in Ukraine.

In the mid-August Fruit-Inform Project increased its potato production forecast, according to which the oversupply of potatoes may exceed record 1,000,000 tonnes in the Ukrainian market. Current prices for potatoes have already almost reached the level of potato production costs.

“Unfortunately, Ukraine will have practically no opportunities to export potatoes to the Russian Federation in this season, as Russia's potato production is expected to grow sharply too. As to exports to the EU, they are almost impossible due to quality of Ukrainian produce not meeting European importers' requirements”, Tetiana Getman, Head of Fruit-Inform Project, says.

“Therefore the only chance of partial escaping potato oversupply in the internal market will be an active work on finding importers outside Russia, Belarus and the EU (in other words, other CIS countries)”, the expert continues.