REUTERS
Some producers declare their intention to raise potato prices further.
Wholesale prices of potatoes have increased by almost half in Ukraine by the end of the third week of March due to disruptions in supplies.
"To date, potato prices have formed in the range of UAH 8-UAH 10 (US$0.29-US$0.36) per kg, which is 43% up on average from the price set at the end of last working week," the East Fruit analytical platform's press service said on March 19.
Experts say farmers managed to raise the price of potatoes amid a significant reduction in stocks at wholesale companies and retail chains, while supplies from Ukraine's western regions are still complicated.
"Due to the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the country, potatoes supplies from farms are carried out irregularly. For the same reason, the deliveries of imported products from Belarus and the Russian Federation decreased slightly. As a result, the supply in the market fell, which in the face of increased demand led to a rise in potato prices," the press service said.
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Representatives of wholesale companies hope that with the resumption of supplies from the western regions, the price will again drop to the previous level, but farmers are going to continue selling potatoes at prices within the current price range.
"Moreover, some producers declare their intention to raise potato prices further. They say stocks of high-quality potatoes in the country's western regions are also running out, so the demand for the vegetable will be growing, which will the price hike," the experts added.
It is also noted that the price of potatoes in Ukraine now is 46% higher on average than a year ago.
As UNIAN reported, EastFruit experts said that early potatoes might ripen as early as in April due to the warm winter and high temperatures this spring.
Ukrainian farmers harvested 20.27 million tonnes of potatoes in 2019, according to the State Statistics Service.
Ukraine in 2019 increased potato imports, mainly from Russia, by 43 times – to a record low 250,000 tonnes.