How the war in Ukraine has changed the potato market and prices: a study

The full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine has had a direct destructive impact on the potato market. Sowing areas decreased by 21%, while the volume of potato production shrank by 11% due to rising yield levels. This is stated in a study by the KSE Institute. As for the consumer price of potatoes, since the beginning of the war, it has increased by 13.4 UAH/kg: from 11.2 UAH/kg in 2021 to 24.0 UAH/kg in 2024. The period of "low" prices decreased from 10 months in pre-war times to 2–4 months in 2023–2024. In 2022–2023, fluctuations in the consumer price around its average level were higher compared to the pre-war period and amounted to 33–35%. The sprouting of domestically produced potatoes, which is mainly grown in the south, has virtually disappeared from the market. In the seed potato market, Ukraine was a net importer in 2015–2024. The exception was 2022, when the volume of seed potato imports decreased by 4 times compared to 2021. At the same time, in 2024, ...