Ukrainian Potato Sector Faces Reality: Updated Data, Storage Shortages, and Hopes for Recovery

For the last decades the priorities for the Dutch government and Dutch suppliers in Ukraine were capacity building for potato production in Ukraine, support of professional growers in improving the technology, quality and yield of potatoes as well as development of agro infrastructure like storages and post-harvesting processing.

Realizing the importance of having up-to-date information in potato growing both for the development plan of the potato Ukrainian industry and for strengthening dialogue with European partners, the Ukrainian Association of Potato Producers addressed the Office of the Agricultural Counsellor in Ukraine ds in Ukraine for assistance in financing an appropriate audit, which will allow assessing the state and prospects of the potato industry and will help potato growers move in the right direction in the future.

Current cooperation

Carolien Spaans, Agricultural Counsellor at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine: 

"We are currently in the final stage of agreeing on project funding with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO. The project was developed by the Ukrainian Potato Producers Association together with the Center for Food and Land Use Research at the Kyiv School of Economics."

"The research will cover the main issues of potato production, processing and sales. And we expect Ukrainian producers and processors to actively get involved in updating this information. Based on the indicators obtained, it will be possible to form further development of the industry and a vision of the strategy."

Potato growers and representatives of BASF present field trial results and discuss crop protection and yields.

According to the executive director of the Ukrainian Association of Potato Producers, Olga Samoilichenko, at the Potato Day, which took place in the fields of the Desna Agricultural Company in Chernihiv region, the data on production volumes and the number of producers in Ukrainian potato sector are outdated. Therefore, conducting a study is extremely necessary. In addition, it is worth separating professional potato growing from potato growing in households. 

Olga Samoilichenko, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Potato Producers Association:

"In the spring, the Ukrainian Potato Producers Association held a preliminary discussion with the Ministry of Agrarian policy and food of Ukraine on statistical figures regarding potato production. Ukrainian statistics which is known also abroad does not reflect the real situation. "

"There are 2 categories of production in Ukraine: the first is professional potato growing, where official reporting is done, the second is homestead farms and individuals who grow potato for own consumption. The data for the second category was unreliable, because after the coronavirus pandemic, no one kept records, then the war started, many people left the country or relocated, they planted less potato, but every year the outdated information was resubmitted to the Statistics Service."

"This led to the fact that in January the State Statistics Service of Ukraine provided information that Ukraine produced 21 million tons of potatoes, thus we took 3rd place in the world in terms of production, but this is completely incorrect data."

"The State Statistics Service of Ukraine, together with the Ministry of Agrarian Policy acknowledged the situation and updated the data based on preliminary calculations in May 2025, 21 million tons turned into less than half a million tons. Therefore, it is too early to talk about the situation in Ukrainian potato growing today, we can only analyze data taken from official potato producers."

Potato growers planted 20% more potatoes

Ukraine has seen a very large increase in potato imports, as there is a shortage of the vegetable on the domestic market. Last year's harvest was poor due to weather conditions. According to statistics, this year's potato import figures are one of the largest in the last 10 years. However, Ukrainian producers are hoping for a good harvest this season and are increasing the area. 

Olga Samoilichenko, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Potato Producers Association:

"This year the weather is favorable for growing potatoes, despite the cold spring, June turned out to be favorable for the vegetable, the harvest has formed, in general the situation is not bad. If we talk about production in general, the price last year increased very much, so many farmers planted potatoes. According to surveys conducted by the Association among its producers, this year they planted a total of 20% more than last year. So expectations for this year's harvest are positive."

Lack of storage facilities and irrigation are some of the main problems in the sector

Growing potato without proper storing is not sufficient. On Potato Day, Carolien Spaans, Agricultural Counselor of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine, visited the Desna farm to first of all talk with farmers and determine their needs. 

Carolien Spaans, Agricultural Counsellor at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine, engages with growers and stakeholders.

Carolien Spaans, Agricultural Counselor of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine:

"Among the main problems is the lack of potato storage facilities. The Netherlands, together with other international partners of Ukraine, are coordinating this issue to provide Ukraine with the opportunity to build storage facilities."

The Association also appealed to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy in November 2024, and in September 2025, the construction of potato storage facilities was included in the 5-7-9% preferential lending program. And that would be fine, but in order to build a potato storage facility, the producer must provide guarantee with a coefficient of 1.25 to the loan amount. 

Olga Samoilichenko, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Potato Producers Association:

"Considering that the facilities of one of the association's members (in Chernihiv region) were destroyed as a result of the war, and there are many such examples across Ukraine, there are great risks of loosing property. Currently, the problem with potato storage facilities, although with maximum assistance from the authorities, remains, there are not enough facilities. "

Another problem that is very important for potato growers is irrigation

Even for certain regions where there is enough precipitation, irrigation must be provided to ensure high yield. Among the members of the Association there are potato producers who are catastrophically lacking irrigation. And even if they install irrigation systems, the issue of water supply remains.

Olga Samoilichenko:

"Thanks to Carolien Spaans, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, a small delegation from the association visited the Netherlands in June. We visited three potato producers, in the quality laboratory, and when I asked them what the yield of potatoes was, one of the producers said: we collect 50 t/ha of seed potatoes, 100 t/ha of marketable potatoes. For Ukraine, these are sky-high figures. "

She explains that the local farmer has such a yield because he grows potatoes with irrigation, despite the fact that the region has a normal amount of precipitation.

Potato growers need more knowledge about production

Farmers note the need for training and seminars, because they lack knowledge of technologies to grow high-quality potato.

Carolien Spaans, Agricultural Counsellor at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine:

"We are partially involved in this, we help the potato growing industry, for example, one of the projects is UPF (Ukrainian Partnership Facility), which is currently being implemented in two locations, in Chernihiv and Kyiv regions with funding from the Government of the Netherlands."

"Online trainings are also held on a regular basis for potato growers on growing technology and various aspects of production. Of course many technological aspects require individual consultation."

Association conducts training for potato growers in the format of a Discussion Club. We have already started organizing meetings for farmers, where they teach technologies starting from preparation to planting potatoes and further up to the harvesting.

Carolien Spaans:

"This is how we exchange experience, gain knowledge. Not only members of the association can join the discussion club. This project works in partnership with the Institute of Potato Growing of the NAAS of Ukraine and Agrico Ukraine, - notes the executive director of the Association."

Participants gather at Potato Day to hear presentations on sector development and technological innovation.

The association also organizes seminars, Field Days, where issues of potato protection and nutrition are discussed, farmers get acquainted with effective crop protection products, fertilizers. Partly these issues are considered in discussion clubs, and partly require demonstration in practice. Another point that worries almost all farmers is the shortage of workers and labor, so there is a great need for automation of production.