Onion imports into Ukraine skyrocket by 62 times in first two months

The Ukrainian Horticultural Association (UHA) says onion imports into Ukraine skyrocketed by 62 times in January-February 2019 year-over-year (y-o-y), to 35,400 tonnes, due to a reduction in stocks.

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"In January-February 2019, Ukraine imported 35,400 tonnes of onions, which was a record high for the said period over Ukraine's independence. For comparison, 565 tonnes of onions were imported onto the Ukrainian market in the first two months of the previous year," the UHA's press service said in a statement on March 22.

At the same time, shipments of Ukrainian onions abroad over the period under review fell by 90% y-o-y, to 275 tonnes.

"The increase in imports was due to both a decrease in domestic onion production and a rather high export demand for Ukrainian onions in the first half of the season. Thus, most batches of high-quality onions were sold on foreign markets before the New Year. However, now onions, in the segment of locally produced products in the Ukrainian market, are mainly offered at the quality, which has begun to worsen rapidly due to long-term storage. So, farmers are trying to sell the produce as quickly as possible," the press service quoted UAH chief analysts Tetiana Smirnovа as saying.

At the same time, the expert does not rule out that by the end of March, there will be a decrease in onion imports to Ukraine. Thus, it is noted that today imported onions are not in very high demand, since buyers have a cheaper alternative, that is local low-grade products. Wholesale companies have not yet sold off the volumes they imported at the beginning of the month. So, they may refuse to purchase new lots.

As UNIAN reported earlier, since the beginning of 2019, greenhouse vegetables had risen in price by 20% on the average due to a decrease in stocks of the produce.

In 2018, Ukraine boosted cucumber imports by 40%, to a record high US$8.9 million.