Sharp weather changes – from abnormal heat to heavy rains – can deprive Ukrainians of potatoes at a reasonable price. Farmers of different regions complain: in the south vegetable rot, in the north – dry up. This was reported by “Today”.
Kyiv. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – July 31, 2021 – Agriculture
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Kherson farmers complain about the weather: the fields are flooded with torrential rains, which led to mass rot of potatoes. Farmer Viktor Rybalko was counting on an early harvest, planting 20 hectares of crops. A third of the vegetables have already “disappeared”. The farmer has already calculated the losses, which reached the mark of 10 million hryvnias.
“Human labor is expensive at such a low price for potatoes. The cost of harvesting potatoes is more expensive, much higher than the nominal value of potatoes on the market, ”says Rybalko.
What about the prices “for now”
In this situation, potatoes have to be sold for nothing. The price in local markets dropped to 4 hryvnias per kilogram. In the Lviv region, it is a little higher – 5-6 hryvnias per kilogram, and in the Kharkiv region – 8 hryvnias each.
However, when reaching Kyiv, Kherson potatoes are overgrown with gilding, and the cost of culture is already jumping to 15 hryvnias per kilo. And this is a minimal increase.
If Kherson farmers suffer from torrential rains, Kyiv farmers suffer from drought. Due to the heat, the tops dry out and the vegetable stops growing. The culture had to mature for another two weeks.
Price forecasts
Despite the panic among farmers, experts reassure Ukrainians: it is too early to sound the alarm. Like, spoiled early harvest – later more stable.
As soon as the mass digging of potatoes begins (it is the end of August – the beginning of September), the price will still fall. It will pass because not all farmers today have modern storage facilities where they can store the harvest, ”explains Mykola Furdiga, Deputy Director of the Potato Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
The price jump may occur after the onset of frost. How much the price will rise depends on the harvest. However, the Institute of Potato Growing is already reassuring with positive forecasts: the price will not differ from last year – about 13 hryvnias per kilogram.
Read Also: Help Potatoes to Survive the Heat With These Useful Tips
Source: Ukrgate
