Challenging weather conditions justify demonstration centre
Challenging weather conditions justify demonstration centre
Weather conditions are one of the main factors affecting the yield of potatoes. This year was a challenging year in Ukraine. “Therefore, farmers were forced to invest more in technology and high-quality varieties, as well as be more careful about the use of plant protection products, to ensure the proper quality of potatoes”, says Nick Gordiichuk, Director of Agrico Ukraine.
This year's situation in the potato sector is difficult throughout Ukraine. According to the State Statistics Service, in 2024, potatoes were planted on an area of about 1 million hectares in Ukraine. However, the yield has more than halved compared to last year, writes LVVN. This year turned out to be difficult for potato growers due to unfavourable weather conditions. Frosts in May damaged crops, rains in June and July led to excessive moisture, and heat in August dried the soil. Late potato blight and Alternaria resulted in additional plant protection investments by farmers. Harvest was uneven, with a large number of small potatoes. In addition, heat and rains formed a dense crust in some areas, which made harvesting and sorting difficult. This led to additional labour and equipment cost.
Even in regions that have always had good harvests, such as Vinnytsia, Chernihiv and Sumy regions, even there is a shortage of potatoes this year. In the west of Ukraine, in particular in Lviv and Volyn regions, the potato yield is sufficient. But this is not enough to cover the demand of the entire country, reports the Dutch LVVN ministry. Yields have halved compared to last year: from 35-60 tons per ha to 15-25 tons per ha.
Problems with storage of potatoes
"An uneven harvest also challenges storing potatoes under the right conditions, amongst other using the right temperature and ventilation. Moreover there is a lack of modern ventilated cold stores in Ukraine, which makes long-term storage difficult. Due to these difficulties, the price of potatoes will increase this year and will probably remain high until the next season," said Ihor Shkurko, director of Chernihivelitkartoplya.
‘Shocked by the high prices’
Nick Gordiichuk, Director of Agrico Ukraine agrees with this. “Everyone is shocked that the price is so high. This is due to the fact that the harvest is still in progress. Under normal conditions, by this time most farmers had already finished harvesting. Today half of the harvest is still in the field. This results in a shortage of potatoes on the market and a high price. The price today is at the level of UAH 18-20 per kg (€ 0,40- € 0,45 per kg)", says Gordiichuk.
Drip irrigation
In addition to climatic factors, the application of modern technologies, such as drip irrigation and the use of disease-resistant varieties, also plays an important role. Gordiichuk: “In farms that implement such methods, productivity can be higher, even in unfavourable years.”
‘Rebuilding Potato Ukraine’
There is a steady demand for potatoes in Ukraine, potato is a strategically important crop. Our project ‘Rebuilding Potato Ukraine’ demonstrates all building blocks how farmers can cope with these challenging conditions. We show them the different options, farmers can pick the ones that match their situation best and result in responsible decisions. In that sense, one could argue, these challenging weather conditions justify the set-up of our demonstration centre.
